Sam Li was born in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China as Songpu Li. He was raised in Southern California by an independent single mother, while periodically spending time abroad in various regions of China and Hong Kong. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and now lives in Los Angeles, California. He first caught the industries' attention after being cast opposite of Simu Liu in Women Is Losers, which went on to premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Also in 2021, Li was cast opposite Patrick Fabian in AMC's Better Call Saul, earning him his first television credit.