Sara Sampaio

Sara Pinto Sampaio is a Portuguese model and actress who gained international recognition as a Victoria's Secret Angel. Alongside her work on the runway, she serves as a global ambassador for Giorgio Armani beauty and frequently collaborates with the Italian clothing brand Calzedonia.

Sampaio was raised near Porto in northern Portugal. Her father, Armando Sampaio, works in professional scuba diving, while her mother, Cristina Sampaio, is employed by an import business. She grew up with a brother named André. Although she enjoyed drama studies in school and aspired to study acting, her parents persuaded her to pursue a different degree, leading her to enroll at the University of Lisbon following high school graduation.

Her modeling journey began at age 15 after being scouted, though she waited until turning 16 to participate in modeling competitions. In 2007, she won the Cabelos Pantene hair contest in Portugal, which led to a role in a commercial and an agency signing. At her parents' insistence, she prioritized completing high school before taking on full-time professional engagements.

Sampaio achieved her ambition of working with Victoria's Secret when she made her runway debut at the brand's 2013 fashion show. After returning to the runway the following year, she was officially named an Angel in 2015. Her editorial and commercial work includes appearances in campaigns for Axe, Replay, Blumarine, Armani, and Rosa Cha, as well as multiple features for Calzedonia. She has graced the covers of numerous high-profile magazines globally, including Portuguese Vogue, GQ, Maxim, Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper's Bazaar, and was named Rookie of the Year in the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

In her home country, Sampaio was recognized as Best Female Model at the Portuguese Golden Globes across five years: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016. She also earned the Fashion Personality of the Year honor at the same awards ceremony in 2019. Maxim included her on their list of the most notable Angels in history to mark the brand's 20th anniversary.

To revisit her early interest in performing, Sampaio relocated to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue an acting career, dedicating time to formal acting classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2023, she was cast as Eve Teschmacher in the DC Studios feature film Superman, which debuted in July 2025.