Kendrick Sampson (born March 8, 1988) is an American actor and activist widely recognized for his work on television series such as The Vampire Diaries, Gracepoint, How to Get Away with Murder, The Flash, and HBO’s Insecure. Through these roles, he has built a steady presence in the industry while also using his platform to advocate for social justice. In addition to acting, Sampson founded his own production company, Sampson Studios.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Sampson is the son of Daphne Smith Sampson and Hoyle Sampson Sr. and is biracial. He developed an early interest in the arts, taking music lessons as a child and discovering a passion for acting at age 10 after watching a Gap commercial. He trained at the Kim Terry Studio in Texas and gained acting experience in theater while attending Elkins High School. Sampson is also known for his Christian faith.
Sampson’s acting career began with small television roles, including appearances on Greek and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He gained wider attention as Jesse in The Vampire Diaries and later appeared in Gracepoint and Hayley Kiyoko’s music video “This Side of Paradise.” Although his 2015 pilot The Kingmakers wasn’t picked up, he found major success with recurring roles such as Caleb Hapstall in How to Get Away with Murder and Nathan Campbell in Insecure, which ran from 2018 to 2021.
