# Sam Witwer
**Sam Witwer** (Samuel Stewart Witwer, born 1977) is an American actor and musician known for screen roles in *Battlestar Galactica*, *Smallville*, and *Being Human*, and for an extensive body of [Star Wars](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-wars) voice work, most prominently as the voice of [Darth Maul](https://www.edgepedia.org/darth-maul) since 2012.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / birth | Samuel Stewart Witwer, born 1977 in Glenview, Illinois[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) |
| Training | Glenbrook South class of 1996; attended the Juilliard School before moving to Los Angeles[2](https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/seniors/2021/05/21/alumni-advice-sam-witwer-class-of-1996/) |
| Breakout screen roles | Lt. Crashdown in *Battlestar Galactica* (2004); Davis Bloom/Doomsday on *Smallville*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) |
| Signature game role | Voice, face, and motion-capture performance as Starkiller in *Star Wars: The Force Unleashed* (2008) and its 2010 sequel; the first title grossed over $500 million[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) |
| Darth Maul | Voice of Maul since 2012 across *The Clone Wars*, *Star Wars Rebels*, and *Solo: A Star Wars Story*[3](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer) |
| Awards recognition | Gemini Award nomination (2011) for *Being Human*; Annie Award nomination (2012) for voice acting as Maul[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) |
| Current lead role | Maul in the animated series *Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord* (2026), the first show with Maul as its main character[4](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/star-wars-tv-shows/shadow-lord-creatives-talked-to-sam-witwer-all-the-time-about-his-star-wars-character-maul-this-is-a-whole-nother-level-of-character-depth/) |
## Early life and training
Witwer grew up in Glenview, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and graduated in the Glenbrook South High School class of 1996[2](https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/seniors/2021/05/21/alumni-advice-sam-witwer-class-of-1996/). He attended the [Juilliard School](https://www.edgepedia.org/juilliard-school), then sought film and television training before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) • [2](https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/seniors/2021/05/21/alumni-advice-sam-witwer-class-of-1996/). His first television appearance was a 2001 episode of the medical drama *ER*, and early guest credits included *JAG*, *She Spies*, *NCIS*, and *Cold Case*[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sam-witwer/) • [3](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer).
## Screen roles
**Science fiction and genre television.** Witwer's early career was anchored in genre television. He played Lt. Crashdown in the reimagined *Battlestar Galactica* (2004) and Davis Bloom, also known as Doomsday, the character fated to kill Superman, on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *Smallville*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/). From 2011 he headlined the Syfy series *Being Human*, the American adaptation of the British series, as Aidan, a vampire; his performance drew a 2011 Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing, Leading Dramatic Role[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/). He later played the season-four villain Agent Liberty on *Supergirl*[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sam-witwer/).
**Other work.** Feature-film audiences know him as Wayne Jessup in *[The Mist](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mist-film)* (2007), [Frank Darabont](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-darabont)'s adaptation of the [Stephen King](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-king) novella, and he starred in the independent features *The Return of Joe Rich* (2011) and *No God, No Master* (2012)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/). On television outside genre fare, he had a recurring first-season role as Neil Perry on the Showtime series *Dexter*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/). His credits also include voice roles in *Justice League: Throne of Atlantis* (as Orm) and appearances in *Once Upon a Time*, *Riverdale*, *Grimm*, and *Andor*[6](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-witwer/credits/3060129462/).
## Star Wars voice work
Witwer's Star Wars association began with the 2008 LucasArts video game *Star Wars: The Force Unleashed*, in which he provided the voice, face, and motion-captured performance of Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice; he repeated the role in *[The Force Unleashed II](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ii)* (2010) and also voiced [Palpatine](https://www.edgepedia.org/palpatine) in the first game[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) • [7](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer). The casting came about partly by chance: a friend at LucasArts noticed that concept art for the character resembled him, and Witwer has said the resemblance was the reason he auditioned[2](https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/seniors/2021/05/21/alumni-advice-sam-witwer-class-of-1996/).
He then joined *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*, first as the Son, a manifestation of the dark side of the Force, in the Mortis arc, and from the fourth season as Darth Maul[8](https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-sam-witwer). His Maul performance earned an Annie Award nomination for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production in 2012[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/). Since 2012 he has voiced Maul in nearly all Star Wars media featuring the character, including *Star Wars Rebels* and the film *Solo: A Star Wars Story* (2018), in which [Ray Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-park) played the role physically[3](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer). He has also voiced Palpatine in animated projects and supplied numerous additional voices across the franchise[7](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer) • [9](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/maul-shadow-lord-stars-sam-witwer-and-gideon-adlon-talk-mauls-surprising-honesty-becoming-a-jedi-and-george-lucas-original-vision-for-the-character).
In 2026 he returned as Maul in *Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord*, the first series to make the character its lead, set in the early days of the Empire as Maul tries to rebuild his criminal syndicate. Witwer also took a behind-the-scenes role, with the production consulting him to keep the character consistent; executive producer Athena Yvette Portillo described the show as a new level of depth for his performance[4](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/star-wars-tv-shows/shadow-lord-creatives-talked-to-sam-witwer-all-the-time-about-his-star-wars-character-maul-this-is-a-whole-nother-level-of-character-depth/) • [8](https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-sam-witwer).
## Video game acting
The Force Unleashed made Witwer one of the first video game actors recognized by the public for a game role, because the character carried his likeness as well as his voice; he has said people approach him on the street calling him Starkiller as often as they mention his television roles[10](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/07/star-wars-game-acting). The production used digital referencing and motion capture of Witwer for the character, and he showed the animators how he thought Starkiller should walk[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/07/star-wars-game-acting).
He has described game recording as physically more demanding than television work: for the sequel, the cast recorded together in a Los Angeles studio with HD cameras running, and he recalled four continuous hours of screaming with no trailer breaks of the kind television affords[10](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/07/star-wars-game-acting). Later game roles include Deacon St. John in *Days Gone* and Captain Leon Ferris in *The Callisto Protocol*, both using his voice and likeness[11](https://vggpodcast.com/news/vggn-011.pdf).
## Music
Witwer is also a musician and the lead singer of the band The Crashtones, which performed in the Los Angeles music scene[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/).
## References
1. [Sam Witwer Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1022429/bio/)
2. [Alumni Advice: Sam Witwer (Class of 1996), The Oracle, Glenbrook South](https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/seniors/2021/05/21/alumni-advice-sam-witwer-class-of-1996/)
3. [Sam Witwer, Memory Alpha](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer)
4. [Shadow Lord is "a whole 'nother level of character depth" for Sam Witwer's Maul, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/star-wars-tv-shows/shadow-lord-creatives-talked-to-sam-witwer-all-the-time-about-his-star-wars-character-maul-this-is-a-whole-nother-level-of-character-depth/)
5. [Sam Witwer - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sam-witwer/)
6. [Sam Witwer List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-witwer/credits/3060129462/)
7. [Sam Witwer, Wookieepedia](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Witwer)
8. [Sam Witwer Interview - Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, StarWars.com](https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-maul-shadow-lord-sam-witwer)
9. ['Maul - Shadow Lord' stars Sam Witwer and Gideon Adlon talk Maul's surprising honesty, Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/maul-shadow-lord-stars-sam-witwer-and-gideon-adlon-talk-mauls-surprising-honesty-becoming-a-jedi-and-george-lucas-original-vision-for-the-character)
10. [Star Wars, Sam Witwer, and the art of video game acting, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/07/star-wars-game-acting)
11. [The Video Game Generations Newsletter - Issue #11](https://vggpodcast.com/news/vggn-011.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Wh to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license