Samantha Schubert was born in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 23 April 1969, the youngest child of Carl Schubert, and Datuk Dr. Paddy Bowie, a well-known author and political analyst. She is of
British descent. She has two elder brothers, Peter Schubert who has died due to car accident in 2004, and Richard Schubert who has also died of illness in 2006. Bowie wrote in a column for
The Star that Schubert's "precocious debut" to the stage was during a visit to the Royal Palace at
Sri Menanti in
Negeri Sembilan: "We were in the Great Hall. The band struck up. But before the assembled adults could begin to dance, this three-year-old girl took the floor and stole the show." She honed her talent for dance during her formative years at school in England and she remained in England for several years of her life while studying at
Drama Studio London and married to a British research analyst Oliver Knotts in 2002. She returned to Malaysia as a dancer and signed with
Genting Group. Soon after, she was enlisted to join "The Girls", the dance troupe of entertainer
Sudirman. However, an injury derailed Schubert's dance dreams. She then moved to
Los Angeles, United States to take up acting, pursuing her study at the
Lee Strasburg School of Film & Theatre Los Angeles and
The Beverly Hills Playhouse. Schubert was a successful model before starring in films such as
Red Scorpion 2 (1994),
Scorpion Orchid (1995),
Amok (1995), and her last film appearance,
The Red Kebaya (2006). Her career included several print campaigns and over 30 television commercials, including her most recognizable work for
Nescafé classic TV commercial in 1995. At the time of her death, Schubert had returned to Malaysia to perform in a play produced and directed by
Kedah-born actress, Susan Lankester. ==Death==