Sam Booth was born and raised in London, the son of a musician and a primary school headteacher. Since 2004 he has been a recurring presence in the work of the British theatre company Punchdrunk, devising and performing roles in productions such as The Firebird Ball (2005), Faust (2006-07), and Tunnel 228 (2009). He is best known for his performance as the studio boss Mr Stanford in the huge cult hit The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (2013-14).