TORONTO 鈥� A Canadian actor and musician who won accolades from an early age is being remembered as an inspiring artist who lived 鈥渢he best life鈥� and continued to work even in her final days. 聽
Samantha Weinstein, 28, died on May 14 at Toronto鈥檚 Princess Margaret Hospital after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer 2 1/2 years ago.聽
Weinstein had been acting since the age of six, with multiple credits to her name, including for voicing various characters in animated television series.聽
鈥淪am was actually a living embodiment of a sunbeam,鈥� said her father, David Weinstein.聽
鈥淪he was so full of positive energy, anyone who ever met her would say that she just lit up every room she walked into.鈥�
Weinstein played high school student Heather in the 2013 remake of 鈥淐arrie,鈥� starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, and was cast as Audrey in the 2011 comedy 鈥淛esus Henry Christ,鈥� starring Toni Collette.
As a child, she had a starring role in 鈥淏ig Girl,鈥� which won the Best Canadian Short Film award at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.聽
That role also earned her the 2006 Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) award for outstanding female performance. At age 10, she became the youngest person to receive that honour.
Her father said she was also a 鈥渧ery prolific鈥� voice actor 鈥� a type of artistry she loved because 鈥渟he could just let loose and be crazy鈥nd have fun.鈥�
In recent weeks, she was still in the studio doing work for cartoons 鈥淢ittens & Pants鈥� and 鈥淒ino Ranch,鈥� despite her illness, he said.聽
Weinstein was also passionate about music; she was the lead singer and guitarist of the Toronto-based garage rock band Killer Virgins.聽
After her cancer diagnosis Weinstein resolved to live the best life she could, her father said, and that included travelling to Japan and Hawaii, among other places.聽
Her parents said philanthropy was an important part of her life and she鈥檇 asked them to continue donating to various charities on her behalf after her death.聽
And there鈥檚 more to Weinstein鈥檚 legacy, her mother said.聽
鈥淭he one thing that's really struck me in the last week or so is 鈥� everyone who I talked to says that she changed their life,鈥� Jojo Tindall-Weinstein said.聽
鈥淎nd I know that sounds really dramatic, but people are really serious when they say that. Her infectious, positive attitude actually changed the way other people live.鈥�
Weinstein is also survived by her husband, sister, and other relatives.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2023.
Sonja Puzic, The Canadian Press
