Growing up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, Kendrick Sampson was surrounded by musicians and artists, and naturally gravitated to the arts. His work ethic, paired with a natural, charismatic personality, took him from one project to the next. His breakout role as Jesse on The CW’s hit series “The Vampire Diaries” came in 2013, then in early 2014, he secured a series regular role on the Fox event series “Gracepoint,” alongside heavyweights Nick Nolte, Anna Gunn, Jacki Weaver and Michael Pena. In 2015, Sampson joined the cast of the ABC hit series, “How to Get Away with Murder” as Caleb Hapstall, and in 2017, he recurred on the Showtime comedy “White Famous” as well as The CW hit series “Supernatural” and “The Flash.”
Last year he stared in Freeform’s “Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas,” a cautionary tale of texting while driving and currently stars in Channing Godfrey People’s film Miss Juneteenth, which explores the journey of a young woman’s dream deferred.
Sampson uses his voice to empower marginalized communities and to shine light on issues of inequity. His activism focuses on racial justice, specifically within criminal justice reform and uniting the oppressed Black, Brown and Indigenous communities. He is a proud supporter of the Standing Rock and Black Lives Matter movements, progressive political campaigns, and social justice education.
A true advocate for change and community building, Sampson founded BLD PWR. Now in its third year, the organization is committed to taking action in a healthy way. His ultimate goals are to build up the next wave of activists while providing resources and tools for equitable change on a grassroots level.
