Samuel French, who starred alongside Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon, died on May 10 following a battle with cancer, his friend Paul Sinacore confirmed. Samuel was 45.
According to Paul, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, Samuel, “battled a cancer that spread through his body over the past couple of years” and died before the release of their upcoming film Towpath.
“Samuel was a dear friend and an incredible actor,” Paul told the outlet in a statement published May 12. “Towpath wouldn’t exist without him, and the incredible intensity he brought to the role of Det. Bernard Crooke set the tone for the entire film. Together we were on an extraordinary journey, giving everything we had to realize a shared creative vision.”
“Samuel carried a fire for acting that burned in every frame—unfiltered, fearless and alive. He gave himself completely to the work, and it showed,” the writer-director continued. “I am deeply saddened by his loss and only wish he could have seen the final cut. He was one of a kind, and he will remain in our hearts forever.”
Samuel—who was a native of Texas—starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in Martin Scorsese’s 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon as FBI agent CJ Robinson.
Prior to his death, Samuel filmed Towpath, which was directed by Paul and starring Eric Roberts. In the film, the late actor played a detective who investigates a murder in a small town during the civil rights movement.
Samuel’s other notable roles include Fear the Walking Dead, Pegasus: Pony With a Broken Wing and Texas Rising.
Two weeks before his death, Samuel celebrated winning Best Supporting Actor at the 2025 Cowpokes International Film Festival.
“This is my third win for the best supporting role. Cyrus in our feature @monsterswithinmovie @cowpokesff last night...,” he wrote on Instagram April 28. “Huge thank you to our director/writer @devinmontgomeryy for creating an amazing character that i could sink my teeth into, and congratulations to the rest of our amazing cast.”
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