Sam Otto was born June 13, 1992 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. He trained at Drama Centre London. Sam Otto starred in The Boy with the Topknot as "Young Sathnam's Father", before starring in the 2018 movie The Flood as Josef. Otto's most recognizable role is "Jalal" in Peter Kosminsky's Channel 4 series The State about young Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant recruits, chronicling their journeys into endorsement of the caliphate on the one hand, and into disillusionment and despair on the other. Otto then went on to star in TNT's 2020 thriller series Snowpiercer as John "Oz" Osweiller, a young brakeman and police-type figure of the train.