Samuel French, best known for playing undercover FBI agent CJ Robinson in the Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon, has died aged 45.
His death was confirmed by friend and collaborator Paul Sinacore, who directed his final performance in the upcoming film Towpath.
French died on 9 May in his birthplace of Waco, Texas. He had been battling cancer for the last few years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Samuel was a dear friend and an incredible actor,” Sinacore said on Instagram. “Towpath wouldn’t exist without him, and the incredible intensity he brought to the role of Detective Bernard Crooke set the tone for the entire film. Together we were on an extraordinary journey, giving everything we had to realise a shared creative vision. Samuel carried a fire for acting that burned in every frame – unfiltered, fearless, and alive. He gave himself completely to the work, and it showed.
“I am deeply saddened by his loss and only wish he could have seen the final cut. He was one of a kind, and he will remain in our hearts forever. My heart goes out to his family, and especially to his daughter – he loved her deeply and spoke of her often with pride and tenderness. His friendship had an unexpectedly profound impact on my life.”
French was born on 26 January 1980 in Waco. He debuted on the History Channel limited TV series Texas Rising in 2015, playing Gavin McDonough alongside Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Bill Paxton, Kris Kristofferson, and Brendan Fraser.
He went on to play Ben in The Walking Dead spinoff Fear the Walking Dead in a 2020 episode and the titular Joe Haladin in Joe Haladin: The Case of the Missing Sister in 2023.
He was cast in Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon after reportedly attending a casting call in Waco. His first day on set had him share a scene with Robert De Niro, after which Scorsese, according to Sinacore, said: “No one could have played Robinson as well as you did.”
Actor-director Devin Montgomery posted a tribute to French on Instagram, writing: “One of the last things he told me was just how special he felt about our working together and to keep making noise and ‘kicking doors down in this industry’ cause as he said ‘you’re a major talent, bro.’
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“I think as artists we can be really hard on ourselves a lot of the time, and it’s special when someone you look up to with the experiences like he has says something like that. He was going through some very scary health issues, but he still took the time to tell me that. I’ll remember that forever. It was an honor working with you Sam, and that ‘keep pushing/continuing on this journey’ mentality will continue, brother.”
French is survived by daughter Madison, his partner Melinda, his parents, and brothers Andy and Danny.