Internationally acclaimed actor Samantha Morton will be back in her home city of Nottingham on Tuesday 10 December when she will be awarded an honorary degree by The University of Nottingham.
Morton, who learned her craft at the renowned Television Workshop in Nottingham, will be made a Doctor of Letters in front of hundreds of students graduating from the university's Faculties of Art and Social Sciences, during the ceremony.
She will receive her honorary degree from the university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West, before delivering an inspirational speech to the graduands.
Samantha was born in Clifton and has spoken openly about the nine years she spent in the care system in Nottinghamshire after being a ward of court when she was eight years old. She attended West Bridgford School and joined the Television Workshop at the age of 13.
She landed various role in British television including Soldier, Soldier; Peak Practice, Boon and Cracker, before coming to prominence as a regular cast member in the first two series of Kay Mellor's gritty drama Band of Gold.
She found wider recognition and a new audience when she was cast opposite Tom Cruise in the Steven Spielberg-directed sci-fi thriller of 2002 Minority Report before adding a string of diverse roles to her resume including Morvern Callar, Synedoche New York, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Walking Dead.
Her talent has been recognised with accolades including Academy Award nominations for her performances in Sweet and Lowdown and In America, a Golden Globe Award for her role in Longford and a BAFTA for her semi-autobiographical directorial debut, the 2009 TV film The Unloved.
Throughout her career, Morton's personal experiences have seen her lend her voice to victims of sexual abuse and she has supported the Fostering Network's annual campaign Foster Care Fortnight. Other activism has included being part of the Vodafone Foundation's World of Difference campaign, which gives people the opportunity to work for a charity of their choice and fronting a television advertising recruitment campaign for social workers in the UK.
