Samantha Morton has opened up about losing her sister in a candid new interview. The 49-year-old actress, currently starring in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, revealed that her sister tragically passed away in April aged 53.
"I sadly lost my sister on April 22 this year. She was 53," the actress told The Times. "And I am still dealing with the coroners. And the trauma."
© Dominik Bindl/FilmMagicThe Harlots star, who spent most of her childhood in foster homes, revealed that "trauma is a constant battle". "My relationship with my past changes as I age and my children age, but things keep happening," she explained.
The actress went on to share that she's also coping with the loss of her father 18 months ago. "Trauma," she continued. "So the past is always with me and I'm not saying I'm not going to be all right next week, but every day I wake, say a prayer and say, 'Please help me.'
Samantha Morton's upbringing
Born in 1977, Samantha was raised in Nottingham in the late Seventies. Her parents, who split when she was two, had nine children. Her father spent time in prison, while her mother suffered mental health issues and her stepfather was an alcohilic who spent time in prison for attempted murder.
© Getty ImagesWhen she was 11, Samantha was moved permanently into a council-run children's home, where she was sexually abused by two residential care workers.
After informing her mother, she was moved to another children's home.
© BAFTA via Getty ImagesReflecting on her childhood, Samantha revealed that she was forced to be resilient. "I went pillar to post with foster families, homeless hostels, sleeping by the bins at the back of the Co-op, because it was too dangerous to go back to the children's home because of the abuse," she told The Times. "I have made choices that have always been about survival, because I watched my mum trying to survive and I watched my dad trying to survive."
At 14, Samantha was charged with attempted murder and convicted of threats to kill after she threatened a girl who had bullied her for a long time.
© Samir Hussein/WireImage"I was locked in a cell for three days. It was terrible," she told The Guardian in 2009. "I just sat there thinking, I don't want this life - I'm not a petty criminal. I'm not a thug. I was so ashamed of myself."
She moved to London aged 16 and landed her big break in 1995, starring in Kay Mellor's Band of Gold. This was followed by a string of television and film roles, including the leading part in the independent drama Under the Skin.
