The UB Interview: Samantha Neyland Trumbo Talks ‘Christmas Rescue’
Former Miss USA Hawaii Stars in "Christmas Rescue," Thursday on BET+
“Christmas Rescue” premieres next Thursday December 14th on BET+.
A man abducts the love of his life (Samantha Neyland Trumbo) from her holiday-themed wedding in a desperate last attempt to win her back.
Directed by Billy Givens-Jensen, cast includes; Robin Givens, Raven Goodwin, Donny Carrington, Catfish Jean, Mario Van Peebles, and Cameron Bailey.
Samantha Neyland Trumbo stars as Chelsea Alexander in “Christmas Rescue.”
After working as a successful print and runway model in Hawaii, Samantha moved to Los Angeles and transitioned into acting, appearing in feature films by Lionsgate, Sony and Lifetime in addition to her guest appearances on hit shows for CBS, ABC, and HBO.
In 2019, Samantha returned home to Hawaii and founded Time to Talk Hawaii, a program dedicated to helping teens learn to communicate more effectively in both personal and professional environments. Later that year, Samantha competed at Miss Hawaii USA 2020. She won awards for Best Interview, Best Swimsuit & Best Evening Gown and became the first African American woman to win the Miss Hawaii USA title. She would later go on to place in the Top 10 at Miss USA 2020 in Memphis, Tennessee.
During her reign as Miss Hawaii USA, Samantha advocated for effective communication by amplifying youth voices and starting a conversation around racial disparity in Hawaii. She worked with local elected officials to establish the first ever Honolulu City Youth Commission.
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, Samantha felt a responsibility, as the first African American woman to represent Hawaii on the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA stages, to bring anti-racism education to Hawaii. She founded Hawaii for Juneteenth as a grassroots campaign and spent a year successfully growing a coalition of community partners, comprised of elected officials, civil-rights activists and nonprofits, including: the Anti-Defamation League, ACLU, the Democratic Party of Hawai’i, the Honolulu NAACP, the African Americans on Maui Association, The University of Hawaii as well as the majority of Maui, Hawaii, Kauai and Honolulu County Council members.
After months of an uphill legislative battle, Samantha successfully led her state into passing SB 939, which officially established June 19th as a Day of Remembrance across the Hawaiian islands. On June 17th 2021 Samantha appeared at the Governor‘s mansion for the official signing ceremony, giving a memorable speech on the historical significance of the moment.
In 2022, after receiving multiple certifications, Samantha became an ICF recognized life coach. She dedicates her coaching practice to helping young women develop confidence, empowerment and resilience.
Combining her love of pageantry and her dedication to the public recognition of Black History as American History, Samantha is now a proud member of the National Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant Organization. She hopes her involvement with the National Miss Juneteenth Organization will encourage other Black women to step into the world of pageantry as a means to improve their communities.
Samantha has been a member of a military family from the beginning and believes experiencing different cultures while growing up is what founded her appreciation for people of all backgrounds. Using her respect for new cultures and advanced adaptability, Samantha captured the Miss Hawaii Teen USA crown in 2013.
Samantha can be seen next in the upcoming indie from director Daniel DelPurgatorio for his sci-fi horror mystery “Marshmallow,” with Paul Soter, Giorgia Whigham, Alysia Reiner and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper.
Aries from UB, spoke to the superbly talented Samantha Neyland Trumbo about the new film “Christmas Rescue” and what made her want to play the role of Chelsea.
Samantha also dishes on what is was like working with the amazing cast and tells us what’s next and more!
Check Out The UB Interview with Samantha Neyland Trumbo!
