Photo: @SamuelFrenchActor/Instagram
Actor Samuel French, best known for his role in Martin Scorsese's film Killers of the Flower Moon and the television series Fear of the Walking Dead, has died at the age of 45 after a yearslong battle with cancer, Paul Sinacore, who directed French's final performance in the upcoming movie Towpath, told the Hollywood Reporter.
“Samuel was a dear friend and an incredible actor,” Sinacore said. “Towpath wouldn’t exist without him, and the incredible intensity he brought to the role of Det. Bernard Crooke set the tone for the entire film. Together we were on an extraordinary journey, giving everything we had to realize 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.”
French played Detective Bernard Crooke Towpath, which centers around the 1964 civil rights movement, alongside Eric Roberts. The Texas native made his acting debut in the 2015 miniseries Texas Rising before later playing Ben in an episode of Fear of the Walking Dead in 2020 and the title character in the film Joe Haladin: The Case of the Missing Sister.