As Alpha Samson in 28 Years Later, Chi Lewis-Parry embodies the evolution of the infected years after the Rage Virus outbreak. Since the initial outbreak, the infected have evolved into two distinct groups: “The Fast Ones” and “The Fat Ones,” also called “The Slow Lows.” While the Fast Ones are the regular infected seen in the previous films, the Slow Lows crawl around laizily, but can be as dangerous as the Fast Ones.
Apart from those two, 28 Years Later features a stronger and smarter variant of the infected called the Alphas, with Alpha Samson delivering the film’s most brutal moments. The hulky infected rips the head off his victim, and his intimidating physique brings Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa to mind. Who’s the actor?
Chi Lewis-Parry Is A British Actor From Hitchin
The 28 Years Later actor has no family ties with American actor Jason Momoa. Chi Lewis-Parry is from the United Kingdom, where he was born and raised. He was born on August 10, 1983, in Hitchin, a market town in Hertfordshire, England. While Lewis-Parry’s role in 28 Years Later has introduced him to more moviegoers, he’s not new to the profession. The Brit has been acting since at least 2011, when he played Dwayne in an episode of Ronan Bennett’s Top Boy.
His acting career picked up in the 2020s with appearances in several television shows, including Pennyworth, Ted Lasso, Ghosts, and The Regime. He gained mainstream recognition in 2024 as Phoebus in Gladiator II. Although it was a supporting role, he performed alongside renowned actors like Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Derek Jacobi. Chi Lewis-Parry is billed to reprise his role as Samson in the upcoming 28 Days Later fourth film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
He’s A Former Mixed Martial Artist
Chi Lewis-Parry KOs Demoreo Dennis pic.twitter.com/GKgTOvKyUb
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) June 25, 2025
Chi Lewis-Parry is now focusing on acting after years of being a professional fighter. His combat sport career dates back to 2006, when a friend introduced him to mixed martial arts. He made his amateur debut in 2011, defeating Ian Hawkins in a K1 event. The next year, he made his professional debut in a UCMMA bout against Ollie Beard. Lewis-Parry went on to compete in several promotions, including One Fighting Championship, Glory Kickboxing, BAMMA, and Rise of Champions. His last fight was in September 2020 when he faced Fabio Maldonado in a UAE Warrior Heavyweight Championship bout.
Without recording a loss, Chi Lewis-Parry’s fighting days are over. Be that as it may, his background in MMA has proved to be useful to his acting career. The actor works in the film industry as a stunt performer. In that capacity, he has been part of popular projects such as Bridgerton, Expend4bles, and Kraven the Hunter. Alongside other stuntmen, he was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild’s Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture. This was for his work in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
Speaking to Variety about his role in 28 Years Later, the actor compared the physicality of playing Samson to his MMA career. “The biggest standout thing was the physicality,” he told the publication. “I threw myself at every wall. That scene in the train gave me more bruises than my fighting career.”
Chi Lewis-Parry Also Played Professional Basketball
Before venturing into mixed martial arts, the 28 Years Later actor was a professional basketball player. He played as a small forward with the Surrey Scorchers, competing in the Super League Basketball. He fell in love with the sport as a child and began playing for the London Towers before his teenage years. Years later, he made his professional debut, playing for the London Caps and Glasgow Rock (Caledonia Gladiator). In an old interview with sports writer Emma Bramford, the actor bragged about winning titles with the London Towers at age 11.
“After that, I went on to be a professional player, playing for London, Guildford, and Glasgow, where I won three finalist trophies. Nike then created their Midnight Madness competition, where top players from around the UK were selected to play against the top teams in America. I was selected for the top 10 two years in a row,” Chi Lewis-Parry divulged as he chronicled his basketball career for the journalist. Although he never realized his dream of playing in the NBA, he worked with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at some point. Check out what happened to Con Mum’s Dionne in real life.
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