Anthony Amadeo explores the creative depths of Sam Morris, from emotive portraits to his latest book.
AA: Sam, let’s start with the shoots we’ve done together in NYC.
We always had so much fun creating those character-based portraits—playing with graphic lines, body shapes, and bold emotive moments. How did you feel stepping into those concepts? Did it feel like acting, or was it more about expressing different sides of yourself?
SM: I always felt like you captured me at my realest to be honest. Those portraits of me through the years (as we did many shoots) really are reflective of my character. I feel like you had a great way of capturing the inbetween moments, which is ultimately where you’re most yourself.
AA: You’re based in Brighton Beach, which sounds so inspiring.
What’s life like there for you? Does the energy of the UK’s coastal creative scene influence your work or the way you approach storytelling?
SM: I moved to Brighton to actually find more peace. I’ve been writing a lot down here and the energy in Brighton definitely contributes positively to that as it has a much slower pace. It’s also a very queer city, so I feel very safe here.
AA: Let’s talk about your book, Pieces of a Boy.
This is your second book—congratulations! What’s the story behind it, and what inspired you to write it? How does navigating the creative world of writing compare to other creative outlets you explore?
SM: This book came about at a difficult personal time for me and I found that writing became my go-to creative outlet to cope during that time. The overall process of writing that memoir was extremely confronting, but cathartic, and it has shown me that writing will likely become a huge part of my life moving forward.
AA: Writing seems like such an introspective medium.
What’s your process like when sitting down to write? Is it structured, spontaneous, or somewhere in between? How do you stay inspired and motivated throughout the journey of writing a book?
SM: I would say I usually write spontaneously, when interesting angles or sentences pop into my mind. Then I will develop the writing from there, in a more structured way. Best piece of advice I had from incredible TV writer Russell T Davies was ‘get it down, then get it good’ - can’t edit a blank page.
AA: You’re clearly someone with many creative sides.
What other creative outlets do you enjoy? Are there any projects, hobbies, or passions that keep you energized outside of writing?
SM: Honesty outside of creating things I really enjoy people watching, both in life and in media. Sometimes reality TV is fascinating to me because I can watch it, almost ironically, just to observe how people express themselves or connect with each other & their surroundings. This, in-turn, usually helps with my work.
AA: If we were to shoot again, what kind of character would you want to explore?
Would it be something bold and graphic again, or are you itching to try something completely new?
SM: Honestly I’m a very different person now. I feel like I’m much more grounded than I was before, and I think that would be captured on camera. I’m older now and I’ve done a lot of work in therapy, it would be fun to see if a different Sam was captured if we shot like before, but I have to admit I am always interested in trying something new.
AA: Finally, where can people keep up with you and your work?
Do you have any upcoming projects, book events, or creative ventures you’re excited to share?
SM: Honestly I plan to write more in 2025, and I may also be looking into working on some sort of adaptation of my book Pieces Of A Boy - so watch this space I guess.