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Sammy Horowitz is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and former professional boxer, stuntman and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Sammy grew up outside Cleveland, Ohio but moved with his family to Chicago when he was 15. He excelled in sports and the arts at school but struggled with behavioral problems and often found himself in trouble. This led to juvenile detention, placements, and institutions for most of his childhood.
By the age of 18 Sammy was a member of a predominantly Latino street gang and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Armed Robbery. Sammy often got into fights in prison and spent over 5 years in solitary confinement (The Hole). He did, however, develop a voracious appetite for reading and writing. After 8 years, 7 months and 15 days, Sammy was paroled in 2010.
Upon his release, Sammy found himself struggling to adapt to a world in which
the cards were now stacked against him with a felony conviction and little to no job prospects or experience. He trained in boxing and mixed martial arts during the day and worked as a bouncer at night but continued to use drugs and alcohol. His best friend since 3rd grade died from a heroin overdose in 2011, and Sammy himself overdosed shortly thereafter but doctors in the ER were able to resuscitate him. Sammy made the decision to get completely clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol on September 17th, 2012, and continued to train in boxing, fighting regularly.
After compiling 26 amateur fights and becoming a semifinalist in the Chicago Golden Gloves, Sammy turned professional. Through boxing, he made connections in Television and Film. With his athletic abilities he became a working Hollywood stuntman, performing in over 80 episodes of television and many movies. Sammy met his wife, actor Sari Sanchez, at a wrap party in 2014. After hearing his stories, she suggested he get them down on paper and introduced Sammy to his now best friend and writing partner Adam Pasen (Sari’s friend from college). Together Sammy and Adam have been finalists for the Warner Brothers Writers’ Workshop and have gone on to write multiple features and television shows.
Sammy’s original play Musket and the Rat opened to critical acclaim in Los Angeles in 2020 and his short “Danny Boy” has received multiple awards and wide recognition on the festival circuit. He has gone on to write several short and full length plays. Sammy and Adam most recently were staffed on Power Book IV: Force season 2 and 3, and recently sold a feature to AGC Studios.