In Conversation: Sam Humphrey is The Greatest Showman

Every once in a while, a movie comes along and leaves a profound impact on you. That’s what The Greatest Showman is for me.

Sam Humphrey is The Greatest Showman. Just as Hugh Jackman is The Greatest Showman. Zac Efron is The Greatest Showman. The Greatest Showman is Keala Settle and Zendaya. In many ways I feel like, I too, am The Greatest Showman. At its core, it's a story about hope and dreamers. Of acceptance instead of just tolerance. It’s a film for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, for anyone who has pushed through adversity and took great risks for the sake of pursuing our passions. And let’s be honest – we have all been there before, all have felt this to some degree in the past. It’s a universal story that we need to see now more than ever.

I still can’t get through hearing ‘A Million Dreams’ without crying – I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song that really captured how I felt so beautifully as that. I still can’t hear ‘This Is Me’ without feeling empowered. These songs have made such an impact because not only is it an essential part of the movie, but it’s the heart and soul of it. I went to a sing-a-long screening (2 of them even!) and it was like a concert in the cinema! We were dancing and singing and I haven’t felt that connected in a long time. All because of the power of film.

But back to Sam Humphrey, the breakout star of this movie. The scene-stealer, whose performance for this movie is sincere and truly made him standout from the pack. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Sam Humphrey is a Kiwi Aussie actor who is so proud of his roots!

There's this particular scene that really stood out to me in the film and without spoiling it too much for those who still haven't seen it (seriously what are you doing if you're not seeing this yet?!), Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum says to Sam's General Tom Thumb: "And when they see you, they won't laugh. They will salute". The scene was so moving that I had to choke back tears the first time I watched it. That moment was so human, so relatable and it's a credit to these incredible actors for making it so.

So today's feature is one that is so special to me. A few weeks ago I was sat inside one of Grand Mercure Auckland's incredible hotel suites (basically took me back to this) nervous as heck, about to chat to one of my favourite actors from my favourite movie. As it turns out, Sam Humphrey is just as amazing as his on-screen movie character and just such a good chap to chat with.

We talked about the film, what it was like working with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, favourite Kiwi lolly, and an unexpected (but oh so welcomed) pep talk from the man himself! Below is the transcript from our chat:

Hey Sam! How's it going? How's LA today? Is it quite sunny out there? I'm in Auckland and it's bloody hot.

Funnily enough it's actually quite cold. It's been cold the past few days too.

I'd honestly rather be cold than sweaty! Anyway, so I saw on your Instagram that you were in New Zealand last year for the Attitude awards.

Yeah, yeah. That's right!

So you're from New Zealand, right? I always see you say that you're proud to be a kiwi and I love that!

Yeah so I was born and raised in New Zealand and when I was about 13 years old we moved to Australia.

Oh okay, so you went over the ditch then! Whereabouts in New Zealand are you from?

So I was born in Auckland but we've moved around the country a lot and I've lived in Wellington and New Plymouth.

That's cool! So you've done a bit of exploring around New Zealand. What's your favourite Kiwi lolly?

Pink Smokers! It's got to be Pink Smokers.

I've never had them before.

You've never had Pink Smokers?!

No! I need to try it now. Pop down to the dairy and grab me some. Anyway... I'm very excited to be chatting with you! The Greatest Showman is such a great film and truly is a celebration of humanity in all forms.

Thank you. I'm really happy and proud to be part of the film.

What was your favourite scene that you've done in the movie?
Umm... honestly there are so many good scenes like the very first scene that I did with Hugh (Jackman) when he comes to my house. That’s probably one of my favourites! That was the first time I actually got up close and personal with Hugh, you know face to face.And it's a really good moment for my character and his as well. I feel like that was when Hugh and I truly bonded, not just our characters but him and I in that particular scene.

I actually found that scene quiet the emotional when he says to you that they won't be laughing they will salute... I just found myself choking back tears. It was such a great scene! How did you prepare for the role?

So to prepared for the role I basically kept looking at the script and really learning it. From that I kept on going over my script and the working through what was the emotions behind that and with my character too. I read a little bit about the back story and did some research on Tom Thumb. And on set, I really worked closely with the director Michael Gracey and really understanding his vision helped me in portraying this character.

What was it like to work with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and the other incredible cast members of The Greatest Showman?

The cast is amazing. I’ve never worked with so many talented people. There's a certain appreciation of everyone around you when you’re working on a film like this. All working together working to create an artform.

Personally I didn’t get to be in a scene with some of the cast like Rebecca Ferguson who plays Jenny Lind. I mainly worked with Hugh and it's been amazing cos he's one of the people I really look up to.

What’s been the ultimate ‘pinch me’ moment so far? What’s been the highlight for you?

Wow, that’s a big one. Well honestly, literally everyday. Eeveryday I wake up I never know what’s gonna happen to me, what auditions are gonna happen to me.

Name three people living or dead that you love to have at a dinner party and why?

I've actually been thinking about that question a lot lately. It's a hard one there so many people they would love to sit down and have a nice dinner where I can only pick 3 of them? Argh! honestly what I said would be Hugh. you know I got to work with him everyday on set so I'd love to sit down and have dinner with him. As for the rest.. oooh, I really don’t know. There are so many people I'd love to have with me at a dinner party!

Ha ha ha, so basically quite a lot of people then? It's gonna be a big dinner party!

Yeah, definitely. I'll have to hire like a massive hall to fit everyone. Jesus would be another one. He was such a, you know, incredible man and he inspired and motivated so many people and founded Christianity so I'd love to have him at my dinner party. And then for the third person... hmm. I don't know I think I'll skip the third one?

Hmm, it could be anyone! Maybe an open invite?

Yeah it might just have to be an open invite. Or actually I'd invite my family to have dinner with us.

What an amazing dinner party that would be though! You, Hugh, Jesus, and the family. Casual Sunday roast?

I know, right? That would be so amazing!

Okay so I think I was pretty hungry when I wrote the question for this interview because my next question is actually food related still. What is your favourite food or dish?

(Laughs) What's my favourite meal? Oooohhhh. I honestly I love a lot of stuff so can I say my favourite type of food?

Sure!

I do love Chinese. I really love Asian food. I'm half-Asian so the food is my favourite.

Are you really?!

Yeah.

I didn't know that! I'm Asian too!

Oh, well there you go. We have something in common!

Asians in New Zealand.

Kiwi Asians! LA has good Asian places too. But yeah, I love seafood. Salmon, or shrimp, or calamari… anything like that? I’m in heaven.

Do you like Oysters?

Not a huge fan of Oysters but I will eat them.

It’s bluff oyster season in New Zealand at the moment so we’re all very excited. Alright so my next question isn’t food related anymore. I guess by the time I got to this part of the questions I wasn’t hungry anymore! Although my favourite questions is still about food. Anyway moving on… if you were to talk to your 15 year old self what would you say to him? 

Be brave. Do not give up. Things can only go up from there. I can still remember very clearly how I was feeling when I was 15 years old. I was going through a bit of a dark time then, but keep working hard and don’t ever give up. It will definitely get better.

That's great advice. I guess when you've gone through a dark patch and you've come out in the other side, you can kind of look back on the experience and reflect on the journey.

Yeah, yeah. Exactly!

So speaking of advice what would your advice be to budding Kiwi actors dreaming of pursuing an acting career and being movies like you? cos I guess it's quite hard when you live in New Zealand and you've got all these big dreams I just love hearing from someone who is living the dream and do what they love them now it's really inspiring to see people's pursue their passions and it. you are absolutely freaking smashing it!

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I think the best advice I can give to someone who wants to pursue a career in acting number one is to make sure it's definitely what you want to do. You've got to have very strong resilience and be able to handle rejection. In this industry there will be days when you’re on top of the world, and then there are days when you just want to give up and cry and scream. It’s definitely an important decision you make. Like ‘you know what, I can’t actually picture myself doing anything else’ decision.

That’s solid advice.

It has to be your passion. You know that there’s nothing else you could be or want to be. You've got to have that thought made up in your mind you can't just be like maybe I'll be an actor I'm going to be an actor I am an actor this is what I'm going to be.

Love it. I feel like you've just given me a pep talk right now and this is exactly what I need to hear so thank you.

As for what's next for Sam? He's currently living in Los Angeles, home to Hollywood and plenty more opportunities. We talked about projects in the pipeline and how there's so much more to come. No doubt we'll be seeing Sam grace our screens more in the near future!

And to his Kiwi fans? What would he say?

"Honestly, just thank you so much for all the support you've shown from watching the film to getting the soundtrack and to supporting us and bring us to where we are now".

And where they are now is a great place to be in. Just last Saturday, my friends and I planned to go see The Greatest Showman again and guess what? The theatre was completely packed! There were only a handful of seats left and they didn’t have 3 seats beside each other available anymore. Considering the film has been in theatres since December, this is just astonishing to see.

The Greatest Showman is exactly that - great. It gave us a powerful anthem that won a Golden Globe for best song. It gave actors like Sam Humphrey a platform to express themselves and bring to life characters that we can all relate to. It gave us something to hope for and celebrate, oddities and all.

Keep an eye out for more from Sam Humphrey on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Every once in a while, a movie comes along and leaves a profound impact on you. That’s what The Greatest Showman is for me.

Sam Humphrey is The Greatest Showman. Just as Hugh Jackman is The Greatest Showman. Zac Efron is The Greatest Showman. The Greatest Showman is Keala Settle and Zendaya. In many ways I feel like, I too, am The Greatest Showman. At its core, it's a story about hope and dreamers. Of acceptance instead of just tolerance. It’s a film for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, for anyone who has pushed through adversity and took great risks for the sake of pursuing our passions. And let’s be honest – we have all been there before, all have felt this to some degree in the past. It’s a universal story that we need to see now more than ever.

I still can’t get through hearing ‘A Million Dreams’ without crying – I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song that really captured how I felt so beautifully as that. I still can’t hear ‘This Is Me’ without feeling empowered. These songs have made such an impact because not only is it an essential part of the movie, but it’s the heart and soul of it. I went to a sing-a-long screening (2 of them even!) and it was like a concert in the cinema! We were dancing and singing and I haven’t felt that connected in a long time. All because of the power of film.

But back to Sam Humphrey, the breakout star of this movie. The scene-stealer, whose performance for this movie is sincere and truly made him standout from the pack. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Sam Humphrey is a Kiwi Aussie actor who is so proud of his roots!

There's this particular scene that really stood out to me in the film and without spoiling it too much for those who still haven't seen it (seriously what are you doing if you're not seeing this yet?!), Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum says to Sam's General Tom Thumb: "And when they see you, they won't laugh. They will salute". The scene was so moving that I had to choke back tears the first time I watched it. That moment was so human, so relatable and it's a credit to these incredible actors for making it so.

So today's feature is one that is so special to me. A few weeks ago I was sat inside one of Grand Mercure Auckland's incredible hotel suites (basically took me back to this) nervous as heck, about to chat to one of my favourite actors from my favourite movie. As it turns out, Sam Humphrey is just as amazing as his on-screen movie character and just such a good chap to chat with.

We talked about the film, what it was like working with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, favourite Kiwi lolly, and an unexpected (but oh so welcomed) pep talk from the man himself! Below is the transcript from our chat:

Hey Sam! How's it going? How's LA today? Is it quite sunny out there? I'm in Auckland and it's bloody hot.

Funnily enough it's actually quite cold. It's been cold the past few days too.

I'd honestly rather be cold than sweaty! Anyway, so I saw on your Instagram that you were in New Zealand last year for the Attitude awards.

Yeah, yeah. That's right!

So you're from New Zealand, right? I always see you say that you're proud to be a kiwi and I love that!

Yeah so I was born and raised in New Zealand and when I was about 13 years old we moved to Australia.

Oh okay, so you went over the ditch then! Whereabouts in New Zealand are you from?

So I was born in Auckland but we've moved around the country a lot and I've lived in Wellington and New Plymouth.

That's cool! So you've done a bit of exploring around New Zealand. What's your favourite Kiwi lolly?

Pink Smokers! It's got to be Pink Smokers.

I've never had them before.

You've never had Pink Smokers?!

No! I need to try it now. Pop down to the dairy and grab me some. Anyway... I'm very excited to be chatting with you! The Greatest Showman is such a great film and truly is a celebration of humanity in all forms.

Thank you. I'm really happy and proud to be part of the film.

What was your favourite scene that you've done in the movie?
Umm... honestly there are so many good scenes like the very first scene that I did with Hugh (Jackman) when he comes to my house. That’s probably one of my favourites! That was the first time I actually got up close and personal with Hugh, you know face to face.And it's a really good moment for my character and his as well. I feel like that was when Hugh and I truly bonded, not just our characters but him and I in that particular scene.

I actually found that scene quiet the emotional when he says to you that they won't be laughing they will salute... I just found myself choking back tears. It was such a great scene! How did you prepare for the role?

So to prepared for the role I basically kept looking at the script and really learning it. From that I kept on going over my script and the working through what was the emotions behind that and with my character too. I read a little bit about the back story and did some research on Tom Thumb. And on set, I really worked closely with the director Michael Gracey and really understanding his vision helped me in portraying this character.

What was it like to work with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and the other incredible cast members of The Greatest Showman?

The cast is amazing. I’ve never worked with so many talented people. There's a certain appreciation of everyone around you when you’re working on a film like this. All working together working to create an artform.

Personally I didn’t get to be in a scene with some of the cast like Rebecca Ferguson who plays Jenny Lind. I mainly worked with Hugh and it's been amazing cos he's one of the people I really look up to.

What’s been the ultimate ‘pinch me’ moment so far? What’s been the highlight for you?

Wow, that’s a big one. Well honestly, literally everyday. Eeveryday I wake up I never know what’s gonna happen to me, what auditions are gonna happen to me.

Name three people living or dead that you love to have at a dinner party and why?

I've actually been thinking about that question a lot lately. It's a hard one there so many people they would love to sit down and have a nice dinner where I can only pick 3 of them? Argh! honestly what I said would be Hugh. you know I got to work with him everyday on set so I'd love to sit down and have dinner with him. As for the rest.. oooh, I really don’t know. There are so many people I'd love to have with me at a dinner party!

Ha ha ha, so basically quite a lot of people then? It's gonna be a big dinner party!

Yeah, definitely. I'll have to hire like a massive hall to fit everyone. Jesus would be another one. He was such a, you know, incredible man and he inspired and motivated so many people and founded Christianity so I'd love to have him at my dinner party. And then for the third person... hmm. I don't know I think I'll skip the third one?

Hmm, it could be anyone! Maybe an open invite?

Yeah it might just have to be an open invite. Or actually I'd invite my family to have dinner with us.

What an amazing dinner party that would be though! You, Hugh, Jesus, and the family. Casual Sunday roast?

I know, right? That would be so amazing!

Okay so I think I was pretty hungry when I wrote the question for this interview because my next question is actually food related still. What is your favourite food or dish?

(Laughs) What's my favourite meal? Oooohhhh. I honestly I love a lot of stuff so can I say my favourite type of food?

Sure!

I do love Chinese. I really love Asian food. I'm half-Asian so the food is my favourite.

Are you really?!

Yeah.

I didn't know that! I'm Asian too!

Oh, well there you go. We have something in common!

Asians in New Zealand.

Kiwi Asians! LA has good Asian places too. But yeah, I love seafood. Salmon, or shrimp, or calamari… anything like that? I’m in heaven.

Do you like Oysters?

Not a huge fan of Oysters but I will eat them.

It’s bluff oyster season in New Zealand at the moment so we’re all very excited. Alright so my next question isn’t food related anymore. I guess by the time I got to this part of the questions I wasn’t hungry anymore! Although my favourite questions is still about food. Anyway moving on… if you were to talk to your 15 year old self what would you say to him? 

Be brave. Do not give up. Things can only go up from there. I can still remember very clearly how I was feeling when I was 15 years old. I was going through a bit of a dark time then, but keep working hard and don’t ever give up. It will definitely get better.

That's great advice. I guess when you've gone through a dark patch and you've come out in the other side, you can kind of look back on the experience and reflect on the journey.

Yeah, yeah. Exactly!

So speaking of advice what would your advice be to budding Kiwi actors dreaming of pursuing an acting career and being movies like you? cos I guess it's quite hard when you live in New Zealand and you've got all these big dreams I just love hearing from someone who is living the dream and do what they love them now it's really inspiring to see people's pursue their passions and it. you are absolutely freaking smashing it!

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I think the best advice I can give to someone who wants to pursue a career in acting number one is to make sure it's definitely what you want to do. You've got to have very strong resilience and be able to handle rejection. In this industry there will be days when you’re on top of the world, and then there are days when you just want to give up and cry and scream. It’s definitely an important decision you make. Like ‘you know what, I can’t actually picture myself doing anything else’ decision.

That’s solid advice.

It has to be your passion. You know that there’s nothing else you could be or want to be. You've got to have that thought made up in your mind you can't just be like maybe I'll be an actor I'm going to be an actor I am an actor this is what I'm going to be.

Love it. I feel like you've just given me a pep talk right now and this is exactly what I need to hear so thank you.

As for what's next for Sam? He's currently living in Los Angeles, home to Hollywood and plenty more opportunities. We talked about projects in the pipeline and how there's so much more to come. No doubt we'll be seeing Sam grace our screens more in the near future!

And to his Kiwi fans? What would he say?

"Honestly, just thank you so much for all the support you've shown from watching the film to getting the soundtrack and to supporting us and bring us to where we are now".

And where they are now is a great place to be in. Just last Saturday, my friends and I planned to go see The Greatest Showman again and guess what? The theatre was completely packed! There were only a handful of seats left and they didn’t have 3 seats beside each other available anymore. Considering the film has been in theatres since December, this is just astonishing to see.

The Greatest Showman is exactly that - great. It gave us a powerful anthem that won a Golden Globe for best song. It gave actors like Sam Humphrey a platform to express themselves and bring to life characters that we can all relate to. It gave us something to hope for and celebrate, oddities and all.

Keep an eye out for more from Sam Humphrey on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.