Living Your Best Encore: Samantha Reynolds

What is (or was) your career, and how many years have you dedicated to it?

I am an author of picture books and a writer for film and television. Though I have been writing on and off since my teens, it wasn’t until a few years ago, at 54, that I took the leap and published my award-winning first picture book, Help Me Be Me.

For decades, I have worked as an actor, primarily lending my voice to a wide range of characters in animated children’s television series produced by Nelvana, CBC, Family Channel, ABC Kids, and Treehouse TV. Additionally, I have written and directed one prize-winning short documentary film and produced a student Emmy Award-winning short film.

This fall, after a 20-year absence from the director’s chair, I will be directing my award-winning short script, No Right Way, in Toronto. Additionally, my second picture book will be released in the spring of 2026.

Was there a defining moment that led you here?

There wasn’t one single moment, per se, but rather a series of moments. We had our son at 41, after losing our daughter at birth the previous year. Because of that loss, I consciously decided to give our son the best and most emotionally supportive childhood I could, a childhood I never had.

My husband was often away, pursuing his dream of working as a film producer (which has since paid off), and I followed our son into Montessori, first becoming a teacher and later studying to become a conscious parenting coach. I wanted flexibility and daytime hours.

It was during my conscious parenting studies that everything opened up for me. Like many women I’ve met in their late 50s, I grew up as a pleaser: avoiding confrontation, doing what I was told, and being taught that men held much of the power. I came to realize I had hidden away my true self as a survival mechanism, moulding myself into what others wanted.

The conscious parenting program, which focuses on healing your own childhood wounds before you can coach others, forced me to look deeply inward. During that year, I allowed myself to explore my true self, which led me back to a creative life that I had missed.

How do you define success or fulfillment today compared to earlier in life?

Earlier in life, success was often measured by the amount of money one earned, the title one held at work, and the size of one's house, for example, all external validations. I didn't know what fulfillment was. It wasn't a word used in my surroundings at all.

Now, I prefer fulfillment, as it encompasses all aspects of my life. Do I have a life where I have enough means to enjoy the activities I love? Am I, if I choose to, living with someone who respects and loves me for me? Do I have lovely friends? Am I doing work (or other pursuits) that I love and that fills me with pride? Do I laugh, and do I look forward to the next day? It's great to have a book win awards, which makes me feel good, but do I really need that? No – at least most days!

What is one powerful lesson you learned later in life that you wish you could have whispered to your younger self?

Listen to your inner voice. It is never wrong.

Please complete this sentence:

The thing I value most about where I am in life right now is…I don’t need approval.

Samantha Reynolds is the author of the award-winning picture book Help Me Be Me, and has written screenplays and acclaimed short films. Her acting credits include New York’s Signature Theatre Company Off-Broadway, Toronto’s CanStage, and extensive voice work for animated series on Nelvana, CBC, Family Channel, ABC Kids, and Treehouse TV. Her short films have earned a student Emmy and the Cine Golden Eagle, while her screenplays have been finalists in competitions such as the Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards Diverse Writers Outreach.

Her second picture book is scheduled for release in summer 2026; she is developing two animated series and plans to direct her award-winning short script in 2025.

An avid athlete and golfer, Samantha also enjoys nature, board games with family, NFL football, and playing guitar. She holds an MFA in Film Production from USC, a certificate from The Neighborhood Playhouse, and a BA in Film from UBC. To learn more, please visit her website.

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