Samuel was born one year after his parents’ marriage and moved with them from London to Chicago in 1995, where his father managed a family corner store, and his mother advanced her career in architecture. A gifted child, Samuel was his parents’ pride and joy. In 2003, his sister Aaliyah was born, but the family’s stability eventually unraveled when his parents separated—something Samuel accepted more easily than his sister.

Samuel went on to attend Northwestern University Medical School and became a psychiatrist. When his mother relocated to Radcliffe, Kentucky, to work as an executive architect for the Covington Group, Samuel moved with her and secured a position at Radcliffe Receiving Hospital. There, he formed a close bond with Tricia despite her engagement to Sean. Their friendship blurred when they shared a kiss during her marital struggles, leading to a heated confrontation with Sean and forcing Samuel to accept that he needed to move on.

He later grew close to Martha, and the two entered a relationship, but it ended abruptly when her ex and child’s father, Murray Hirsch, returned, claiming he wanted to make amends. Samuel doubted Murray’s sincerity—a suspicion that proved correct when Murray revealed his true desire was to reunite with Martha, not to be a hands-on father to their son. After the breakup, Samuel reconnected with longtime family friend Jes Choudhury at his parents’ remarriage. Though Jes eventually became involved with Antoine Hall, Samuel remained drawn to her—much to his mother’s disapproval, which he struggles to understand.