Everything You Wanted to Know About Almost Paradise Star Samantha Richelle
Brunei-born actress, entrepeneur and fashion designer Samantha Richelle may be a relative newcomer to the television scene, but you'd never know it from her cool confidence and instant chemistry with her costars onscreen.
Her first TV credit comes in the form of Almost Paradise, which premiered in 2020 and is the first-ever American television series filmed entirely in the Philippines. Samantha plays Detective Kai Mendoza, a determined and dedicated cop who—somewhat reluctantly—befriends American ex-DEA agent Alex Walker as he attempts to enjoy a peaceful retirement and instead gets himself embroiled in case after case. The series made a return with its second season in July, and if you adore it (and Samantha) as much as we do, keep scrolling to discover everything we learned about her as our latest Woman Crush Wednesday.
(Photo credit: Neil Fernandez)
Name: Samantha Richelle
Hometowns: Brunei and Los Angeles, California
Birthday: December 16
Fun Facts:
1. At the moment, Samantha is all about comfy fashion trends.
"I stick to neutrals and I'm not really into color as much, but I do experiment a little bit. I love a clean blazer. Since it's getting colder here in L.A., I've been moving toward chic, fitted blazers."
-Samantha Richelle
2. Her all-time favorite movie is Dancing in the Rain.
"But I have found myself watching Fight Club and Inglorious Basterds quite often, too."
-Samantha Richelle
3. She's been very inspired by her traveling the world.
"When I travel, inspiration just kind of comes to me left and right. I find myself being more present and in the moment when I'm looking at new things."
-Samantha Richelle
4. Pizza is her all-time favorite food—classic margherita pizza in particular.
"Pizza can't go wrong. When I can't find something I want to eat, I can rely on pizza."
-Samantha Richelle
5. She's always loved to keep active.
"Ever since I was little, I found myself in sports. I was on the track team, I did swimming and I did rounders, which was a big sport when I went to school in the U.K. It's kind of like baseball, but it's a smaller bat and you use one hand. I did that for two years, and I loved it. I also did volleyball. And nowadays, I still keep active. I do pilates and yoga. I'll run around my neighborhood. Just being outside is what I love to do."
-Samantha Richelle
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6. One of her favorite rituals is starting off the day with meditation and yoga.
"I think it kind of sets the day for me. It sets the tone and puts me in a happy place in the morning."
-Samantha Richelle
7. The last song she had stuck in her head was Sigala's "Sweet Lovin'."
"It's still in my head now. It's an old banger, and my mom was playing it last night. I also recently had 'The Riverbend' by Subculture stuck in my head."
-Samantha Richelle
8. She's slightly obsessed with coffee.
"I always need to have coffee."
-Samantha Richelle
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9. One of the biggest live lessons she's learned is something she's only recently taken to heart.
"I've always been taught to always trust your gut, but I've learned that now more than ever. To look inward and always check back within yourself if this is right for me, if this fits for me and if this is what makes me happy. That's definitely something that has always been told to me, but I've never really understood it until now. I've found that very useful in life—always checking back in with myself and seeing if what I'm doing works for me in my life."
-Samantha Richelle
10. If she could travel anywhere in the world for a week, it'd be Positano, Italy.
"I went there in May for the first time with my sister and I just had the best time. We were out there for maybe four days and we didn't plan anything at all, but we found ourselves getting lost and meeting the best people. I went there initially for the food, but the culture there is just something else—the way they live and the way they see life. It inspired me. I'd love to go again."
-Samantha Richelle
11. One thing that's key to Samantha is that she's a big dreamer.
"I've always been a creative, and I've always loved to create things and inspire other people with them. I'm an artist through and through, and I want people to understand that and see that and be able to enjoy that with me."
-Samantha Richelle
For more on the ladies who inspire us, click HERE to learn all about "Dayream" artist Lily Meola.