Samantha Ruth Prabhu, also known as Samantha Akkineni, is an Indian actress who works in Telugu and Tamil films. She was born on April 28, 1987 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She has two older brothers, Jonath and David, and is fluent in both Tamil and Telugu. Her father, Joseph Prabhu, is Telugu, and her mother, Ninette Prabhu, is Malayali. 

Samantha attended Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and Stella Maris College, Chennai, where she earned a degree in commerce. She began modeling as a student, and was eventually spotted by filmmaker Ravi Varman through Naidu Hall. She made her acting debut in the 2010 Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, and her first lead role in the 2010 Telugu romance Ye Maaya Chesave, for which she won a Nandi Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut -- South. She has also appeared in the film Baana Kaathadi. 

Samantha is also a philanthropist and the founder of Ekam Early Learning Centre. She believes that creativity is key to success, and that primary education is essential for cultivating creativity in children. 

Samantha was previously married to Naga Chaitanya until 2021.