Silent Witness
- Silent Witness is off air
- Remind me
Silent Witness sees one of the most attractive forensic pathologists, Sam Ryan, pursue her cases until justice is served.
Amanda Burton
Amanda Burton is best known as a familiar face on British TV thanks to appearances in Brookside as Heather Black, then on Boon and Peak Practice. Other projects have included radio performances and a US based documentary about two orphaned bear cubs being returned to the wild.
Born in Ballougry, Co. Derry, the youngest of four sisters, Amanda is now married to photographer, Sven Arnstein. The couple have two children: Phoebe, aged 15 and Brid, aged 13. She has recently appeared in The Whistle-Blower with Neil Pearson and in Little Bird with Niamh Cusack.
What's a Forensic Pathologist?
Pathology means medicine which studies changes to the body brought on by disease or injury. Forensics implies the cause of injury or disease - even death - is unnatural or suspicious. Pathology can be either anatomic, which means changes to the body or clinical which means that samples removed from the body undergo laboratory examination.
The main functions of a forensic pathologist is establishing cause of death, time of death, type of weapon used, differentiate homicide from suicide, assert identity of the victim and pinpoint any trauma prior to death. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea?
Did you know?
Eastender bad boy Joe Absolom appeared in Silent Witness in 1996 before ever treading the cobbles of Albert Square. Silent Witness has its fair share of fans but little did Amanda Burton know she was to be made a parody of by famous comedy queen Jennifer Saunders. The take off by French and Saunders of Amanda's character Sam Ryan made Amanda smile. She says: "It was a very odd experience watching yourself being taken off like that. It's like 'Oh my God, do I really do that?'"
Fact or Fiction?
It's been said that Amanda Burton and Sam Ryan are very close in character. When asked if the two are one same person, Amanda answers: "Sometimes I wonder how much I have shaped her and how much she has shaped me over the years. It's a very spiritual connection I have with Sam."
Bizarrely Amanda already had forensic pathology on the mind at the time she was asked to play Sam Ryan. "I was heavily into Patricia Cornwell at the time and happened to say that I'd love to play a forensic pathologist or someone like that. She said the BBC were thinking of creating one. It all went from there - the fates and a chance conversation.
What's next for Amanda?
Amanda Burton left behind Sam Ryan to try her hand at the other side of the law. As Clare Blake in the new Lynda La Plante one-off mini series: The Commander, Amanda is promoted to become Serious Crime Group Commander. This new position within the force means she is in charge of the Murder Review Group.
Each and every one of the 150 murders investigated by the Metropolitan Homicide Officers every year comes under the jurisdiction and review of the Commander of the Homicide Division. Quite a job she's taken on there. But tough cookie Amanda Burton is surely the woman for the job.
Amanda Burton is best known as a familiar face on British TV thanks to appearances in Brookside as Heather Black, then on Boon and Peak Practice. Other projects have included radio performances and a US based documentary about two orphaned bear cubs being returned to the wild.
Born in Ballougry, Co. Derry, the youngest of four sisters, Amanda is now married to photographer, Sven Arnstein. The couple have two children: Phoebe, aged 15 and Brid, aged 13. She has recently appeared in The Whistle-Blower with Neil Pearson and in Little Bird with Niamh Cusack.
What's a Forensic Pathologist?
Pathology means medicine which studies changes to the body brought on by disease or injury. Forensics implies the cause of injury or disease - even death - is unnatural or suspicious. Pathology can be either anatomic, which means changes to the body or clinical which means that samples removed from the body undergo laboratory examination.
The main functions of a forensic pathologist is establishing cause of death, time of death, type of weapon used, differentiate homicide from suicide, assert identity of the victim and pinpoint any trauma prior to death. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea?
Did you know?
Eastender bad boy Joe Absolom appeared in Silent Witness in 1996 before ever treading the cobbles of Albert Square. Silent Witness has its fair share of fans but little did Amanda Burton know she was to be made a parody of by famous comedy queen Jennifer Saunders. The take off by French and Saunders of Amanda's character Sam Ryan made Amanda smile. She says: "It was a very odd experience watching yourself being taken off like that. It's like 'Oh my God, do I really do that?'"
Fact or Fiction?
It's been said that Amanda Burton and Sam Ryan are very close in character. When asked if the two are one same person, Amanda answers: "Sometimes I wonder how much I have shaped her and how much she has shaped me over the years. It's a very spiritual connection I have with Sam."
Bizarrely Amanda already had forensic pathology on the mind at the time she was asked to play Sam Ryan. "I was heavily into Patricia Cornwell at the time and happened to say that I'd love to play a forensic pathologist or someone like that. She said the BBC were thinking of creating one. It all went from there - the fates and a chance conversation.
What's next for Amanda?
Amanda Burton left behind Sam Ryan to try her hand at the other side of the law. As Clare Blake in the new Lynda La Plante one-off mini series: The Commander, Amanda is promoted to become Serious Crime Group Commander. This new position within the force means she is in charge of the Murder Review Group.
Each and every one of the 150 murders investigated by the Metropolitan Homicide Officers every year comes under the jurisdiction and review of the Commander of the Homicide Division. Quite a job she's taken on there. But tough cookie Amanda Burton is surely the woman for the job.
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