Debra Philece Sampler (July 16, 1953 – July 1, 2021) was an American film, television and voice actress. She got her start on the soap operas ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' as

Renée DuMonde Renée DuMonde is a fictional character on the television soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by Philece Sampler from 1981 to 1983, with guest appearances in 1984. She is the daughter of Stefano DiMera and Lee DuMonde. Ren� ...

and '' Another World'' as Donna Love Hudson. In addition to her acting career, Sampler provided the voice to various characters in animated series, such as

Toph Beifong Toph Beifong ( zh, c=北方拓芙, p=Běifāng Tuòfú) is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'' and its sequel ''The Legend of Korra'', voiced by Jessie Flower in the original series a ...

in ''

The Legend of Korra ''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...

''. She also voiced characters in English-language dubs, such as Mimi Tachikawa and Cody Hida from '' Digimon: Digital Monsters'', Tiptory in ''

Eureka Seven ''Eureka Seven'', known in Japan as , is a 2005 Japanese anime series created by Bones. The series was directed by Tomoki Kyoda, with series composition by Dai Satō, character designs by Kenichi Yoshida and music by Naoki Satō. ''E ...

'', and Hiyori Tamura from '' Lucky Star''.

Life and career

Sampler was born in

San Angelo, Texas San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Plai ...

, on July 16, 1953. She graduated from J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas in 1971. After graduating from the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...

in 1975 with a drama degree, Sampler moved to Hollywood and quickly landed guest roles in a few television movies and series, including ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' in season 4, episode 59 titled "Dark Side". Sampler first made a name for herself playing

on the soap ''

''. The Renee character became the focus of a major 1983 murder mystery, resulting in one of the most spectacular send-offs in daytime history. After leaving ''Days of our Lives'' in September 1983, she went on to the TV series ''

Rituals A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...

'', which ran from 1984–1985. The show also starred future soap stars

Mary Beth Evans Mary Beth Evans (born March 7, 1961) is an American television actress, known for her role as Kayla Brady on the NBC daytime soap '' Days of Our Lives'', and her role as Sierra Estaban on the CBS daytime soap ''As the World Turns''. Career Evan ...

(Kayla, Days) and

Jon Lindstrom Jon Robert Lindstrom (born October 18, 1957) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, and musician. He is well known for his role as Kevin Collins on the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off ''Port Charles''. ...

(Kevin, GH), as well as veteran soap star

Kin Shriner Kin Shriner (born December 6, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Scott Baldwin on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off, '' Port Charles''. Early life Shriner and his twin brother, actor Wil Shriner, ...

(ex-Scotty, GH; ex-Brian, B&B) and

Tina Louise Tina Louise ( Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island''. With the death of Dawn Wells in 2020, Louise became the las ...

(Ginger from ''

Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...

''). After ''Rituals'', Philece went on to '' Another World'' in 1986 to play

Donna Love This is a list of some of the major characters that have appeared in the soap opera '' Another World'', which originally aired from May 4, 1964, to June 25, 1999. A ;Joyce Abernathy :Played by Rena Sofer, 1987 ;Dave Adama :Played by John Mattey ...

, a role she took over from originating actress Anna Stuart. She left AW in 1989 when Stuart reclaimed the role. She had a couple of guest-starring roles on ''

TJ Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network u ...

'' as Sue Ann and on ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' as Casey. She then took a sabbatical to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

with her then-fiance. She returned to the US with a few screenplays and formed Philman Entertainment, a production company. Sampler worked as associate producer of the Los Angeles stage hit ''

Sordid Lives Sordid may refer to: * Paul Sordid (20th century), English drummer * Sordid (character), a fictional character in the ''Simon the Sorcerer'' series of video games {{Disambig ...

'' by Del Shores. She performed in UPN's animated series ''

'', as the voice of

Betty Ross Elizabeth "Betty" Ross (later Talbot and then Banner) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and made her first appearance in ''The Incredible ...

. She remained pals with her former ''Days of Our Lives'' love-interest Gregg Marx (David Banning). She performed a voice-over on '' Real Monsters'' – "Ollie Ollie Oxen Free". She did a voice on Nickelodeon's ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

'', where she played Emma (Chuckie's love interest) in the episode "He Saw, She Saw".

Death

Sampler died from a heart attack in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on July 1, 2021, at the age of 67, 15 days shy away from her 68th birthday.

Filmography

Live-action roles

Anime

* ''

Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

'' - Ayame, Chizuru Honsho, Waineton (Cain's Doll) * ''

Idol Project is a short four-episode OVA ( Original Video Animation) series produced in 1995 by Studio OX. This anime follows a cute 14-year-old girl named Mimu Emilton, who dreams of becoming a singing idol, much like her own idol, Yuri. Yuri brought wo ...

'' - Layla B. Simmons * '' Kill la Kill'' - Mataro Mankanshoku (credited as Lindsey Eaton) * ''

Kyo Kara Maoh is a series of Japanese light novels written by Tomo Takabayashi and illustrated by Temari Matsumoto. The story follows the adventures of Yuri Shibuya, an average 15-year-old Japanese high school student, who is suddenly transported to a ...

'' - Nicola * ''

Last Exile is a Japanese anime television series created by Gonzo. It featured a production team led by director Koichi Chigira, character designer Range Murata, and production designer Mahiro Maeda. The three had previously worked together in '' ...

'' - Alister Agrew, Claus Valca (Young) * ''

Love Hina is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from October 1998 to October 2001, with the chapters collected into 14 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Kodansha. The ...

'' - Tsuruko Aoyama * '' Lucky Star'' - Hiyori Tamura * ''

Marmalade Boy is a shōjo manga series by Wataru Yoshizumi. It was published by Shueisha in the magazine '' Ribon'' from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapted by Toei Animation as a 76-episode an ...

'' - Asst. Principal Kyoto * ''

Mars Daybreak is a Japanese science-fiction anime television series that aired on TV Tokyo from April 1 to September 23, 2004. It is currently licensed by Bandai Entertainment. is a simulation game based on the concept, developed and published by Sony Comp ...

'' - Anya * '' Mobile Suit Gundam F91'' - Manuela Panopa * '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans'' - Sakura Pretzel * ''

Mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

'' - Mei's Grandmother, Samasa Morijima * ''

Overman King Gainer is an anime television series, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, and featuring character designs by Yoshihiro Nakamura, Kinu Nishimura and Ken'ichi Yoshida. The series ran from September 7, 2002 to March 22, 2003 on ...

'' - Elizabeth * '' Please Twins'' - Futaba Mashita * ''

Rozen Maiden is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Peach-Pit. It was serialized in ''Monthly Comic Birz'' between the September 2002 and July 2007 issues. The individual chapters were collected and released into eight ''tankōbon'' ...

'' - Mitsu 'Micchan' Kusakabe * ''

Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...

'' - Budokiba * ''

Samurai Girl Real Bout High School is a Japanese light novel series written by Reiji Saiga and illustrated by Sora Inoue. It was serialized in ''Dragon Magazine'' from 1997 to 2010. A manga adaptation by the same authors was serialized in ''Monthly Comic Dragon'' from 1998 t ...

'' - Madoka Mitsurugi * ''

SD Gundam Force , is a 2003 Japanese-American anime television series produced by Sunrise. The series was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gundam media franchise, and was the first Gundam series to be entirely animated in cel-shaded 3D computer ...

'' - Mayor Margaret Gathermoon, Noah * ''

'' - Betty Ross (1997) * ''

The Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins is a classification of vices used in Christian teachings. Seven deadly sins may also refer to: Art * ''The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things'', a 1485 painting by Hieronymus Bosch * '' The Seven Deadly Sins of Moder ...

'' - Mead * ''

The Twelve Kingdoms is a Japanese series of fantasy novels written by Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. The first entry in the series called ''The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow'' was published by Kodansha in Japan in 1992; the last Kodansha volume ...

'' - Gobo * '' Tokko'' - Sakura Rokujo * '' Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' - Kelly * '' Tweeny Witches: The Adventures'' - Iga (Ep. 5) * ''

Ultra Maniac is a manga series written by Wataru Yoshizumi. The romantic comedy series features 8th grader Ayu Tateishi, a tennis club member, and her transfer student friend, Nina Sakura, who is actually a trainee witch from the magical kingdom. It pre ...

'' - Maya Orihara * ''

Vandread is a Japanese anime series directed by Takeshi Mori (director), Takeshi Mori and created by the List of animation studios, animation studios Gonzo (company), Gonzo and Media Factory. The series is composed of two seasons (''Vandread'', ...

'' - Barnette Orangello * ''

Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio. Games ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003) The first game in the ...

'' - Silvia * '' Wild Arms: Twilight Venom'' - Jerusha

Animation

Film

Video games

* '' AI: The Somnium Files'' - Mayumi Matsushita * '' Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura'' - Z'an Al'urin * ''

BlazBlue ''BlazBlue'' is a fighting video game series developed and published in Japan by Arc System Works, and later localized in North America by Aksys Games and in Europe by Zen United. An anime adaptation aired in Autumn 2013. The series has sold 1. ...

'' series - Taokaka * ''

Blue Dragon Blue Dragon may refer to: Biology * '' Glaucus atlanticus'', a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Glaucidae * '' Glaucus marginatus'', a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Glaucidae * '' Pteraeolidia ianthina'', a she ...

'' - Child, Female Village, Devour Village Old Woman * '' Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise'' - Mrs. Carpenter * '' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles'' - Rokuta Kamado *''

Legends of Runeterra ''Legends of Runeterra'' (''LoR'' is a 2020 digital collectible card game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by the physical collectible card game ''Magic: The Gathering'', the developers sought to create a game within the same ge ...

'' - Fizz, Kennen *'' Rune Factory 5'' - Yuki * ''

Shenmue III is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Ys Net, published by Deep Silver for PlayStation 4, and Windows and produced by Shibuya Productions. Like the previous ''Shenmue'' games, it consists of open-world environments interspersed with br ...

'' - Additional Cast

Documentary

* '' Adventures in Voice Acting'' - Herself

References

;''Credit List'' anime * Episode 19: ;Other references

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sampler, Philece 1953 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American film actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses American video game actresses American voice actresses University of North Texas alumni