None of us knew this actress’ name, but anyone who has seen Set It Off remembers her face. Her name is Samantha and she played the role of “Cleo’s” (Queen Latifah) mute girlfriend, “Ursula,” in the ’96 film.
“Cleo” And Her Girl
All she did was kiss Queen Latifah and never talked. Remember how Queen Latifah had everyone talking when her “Eve” look-alike girlfriend was giving her a sexy lap dance/tease, after “Cleo” and her girls robbed the bank? “Cleo” had tricked out her car and bought “Ursula” some new lingerie and after their convincing romance, the questions started circulating about Latifah’s sexuality and the “Ursula” actress’ whereabouts (since no one had pretty much seen her since).
After watching Set It Off again the other night, for what seems like my 100th time (not really 100, but I’ve seen it a lot), I decided to do a lil’ bit of research on Samantha.
Her Mom Was 1st Black Actresses To Rock An Afro On A TV Show!
What we found out was that all these years have gone by and we never knew that this well known actress from the 60’s, 70’s and beyond, is her mother. If you’re an avid Good Times or Star Trek fan, you probably remember her mother’s roles well.
You probably also remember Janet MacLachlan from her more popular roles in and episode of Star Trek as “Lt. Charlene Masters,” where she was one of the first African American actresses to appear on that series at that time. She was also one of the first Black actresses to rock an afro on a TV show in the 60’s.
Sadly, Janet passed away at the age of 77 in 2010 from complications due to a cardiovascular disease. She was living in Los Angeles at the time of her death.
Where Is Samantha Now?
Samantha MacLachlan is Janet’s only daughter and there was not been any mention of who her father is. As far as Samantha, she is now 48 years old and we’re not sure what she’s up to nowadays.
After starring in a few more projects such as television series Once and Again, NYPD Blue, JAG, the films, Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996) and Tear It Down (1997) and of course Set It Off, she pretty much retreated from the spotlight and lives a quiet non-celebrity type of life.
