Sam Morelos is a Filipino-American actor, director, and producer best known for playing Nikki Velasco on Netflix’s That ’90s Show. Born July 7, 2005, in Los Angeles, Morelos is 21 years old in 2026 and has quickly moved from a teenage sitcom newcomer to leading movie roles. Sam Morelos Their recent credits include Descendants: The Rise of Red, Hulu’s Summer of 69, Regretting You, and the upcoming adaptation of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.
What makes Sam’s rise especially interesting?
That ’90s Show was essentially their first major professional acting job.
Only a few years later, they were carrying a Hulu movie.
That is a very fast change.
Sam Morelos Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sam Morelos |
| Date of Birth | July 7, 2005 |
| Age in 2026 | 21 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California |
| Raised Around | San Gabriel Valley, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Heritage | Filipino-American |
| Pronouns | They/Them |
| Profession | Actor, director, producer |
| Famous TV Role | Nikki Velasco in That ’90s Show |
| That ’90s Show Episodes | 26 |
| Disney Film | Descendants: The Rise of Red |
| Breakout Film Role | Abby Flores in Summer of 69 |
| Regretting You Role | Lexie |
| Upcoming Major Role | Freddie Riley in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me |
| Acting Background | Musical theater and performing-arts training |
| Relationship Status | Kept private |
| Net Worth | Not independently verified |
IMDb confirms Morelos was born on July 7, 2005, in Los Angeles and lists acting, directing, and producing among their work.
Who Is Sam Morelos?
Sam Morelos is part of a new generation of young actors who entered Hollywood through streaming television rather than traditional network sitcoms.
Their first big role was Nikki in That ’90s Show, Netflix’s sequel to the hugely popular That ’70s Show.
Nikki was smart, ambitious, sarcastic, and initially focused on becoming a doctor.
Netflix described her as someone with serious plans for college who also happened to be dating the lovable but not-always-brilliant Nate.
Morelos quickly became one of the main members of the younger cast.
But acting had been part of their life long before Netflix.
Sam Started Performing at a Very Young Age
Morelos grew up in California’s San Gabriel Valley.
They told Forbes that they began doing local musical theater at around four years old.
Interestingly, Sam originally saw themselves more as a singer than an actor.
They spent years doing musical theater and performing before discovering a stronger interest in screen acting.
That change happened partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When live musical theater became impossible during lockdowns, one of Sam’s teachers converted class into camera-acting lessons.
Sam loved it.
They eventually switched their focus toward acting.
Sam Attended a Performing Arts High School
Morelos studied at the California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley.
They trained in the acting conservatory after initially focusing more heavily on musical theater.
That background explains why Sam seems comfortable with both comedy and more emotional roles.
They were learning performance long before their first Netflix audition.
There was also a strong music connection.
In 2019, Morelos performed “La Vie en Rose” at a Filipino American Symphony Orchestra summer concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
So the path to television was not sudden.
The professional breakthrough was sudden.
How Did Sam Morelos Get That ’90s Show?
The story is surprisingly simple.
Sam did not have an agent or manager at the time.
They submitted through an open casting call.
Forbes reports that Morelos booked Nikki at around 16 years old.
Netflix’s own cast guide later described them as a 17-year-old high-school student making their television debut.
Imagine that.
You are still in school.
You submit yourself for an audition.
And suddenly you are working with actors from one of television’s most famous sitcom franchises.
Who Was Nikki in That ’90s Show?
Nikki is part of Leia Forman’s new Point Place friend group.
She begins the show dating Nate, played by Maxwell Acee Donovan.
Compared with some of the other teenagers, Nikki often appears more organized and ambitious.
She has plans.
She wants a future.
And she does not always have patience for nonsense.
Morelos later said they loved Nikki’s confidence, sarcasm, and determined personality.
Playing Nikki also allowed Sam to act opposite That ’70s Show veterans Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith.
Morelos called working with them a lesson in comedic timing.
Sam Was Already a That ’70s Show Fan
Getting the role had another special meaning.
Sam had actually watched all eight seasons of That ’70s Show before joining its sequel.
So walking onto the famous Forman basement set felt surreal.
That probably helped Sam understand the unusual pressure facing the younger cast.
They were not creating a completely new world.
They were entering one that millions of viewers already loved.
Fans already had expectations about:
Red,
Kitty,
Point Place,
the basement,
and the style of humor.
The new cast had to respect that history while creating characters of their own.
How Many Episodes Was Sam Morelos In?
IMDb credits Sam as Nikki across 26 episodes of That ’90s Show from 2023 through 2024.
The show ran for two seasons, although Netflix divided the later episodes into separate “parts.”
Netflix canceled the series in October 2024 after its second season.
That could have been a difficult moment for a young actor whose first major job had become their professional identity.
Instead, Sam’s movie career was already starting to grow.
Sam Appeared in Descendants: The Rise of Red
In 2024, Morelos appeared in Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red.
They played a Merlin Academy student named Meadow.
There is a strange history behind that character.
During development, Sam’s role was announced under the name “Zellie” and was connected with Rapunzel.
By the final movie, the concept had changed significantly and the character became Meadow, with a much smaller part.
So older articles may call Sam “Zellie” or even describe the role as connected to Rapunzel.
The finished film uses Meadow.
Summer of 69 Became Sam’s Big Movie Breakthrough
Then came Summer of 69.
The 2025 Hulu comedy stars Sam as Abby Flores, alongside Chloe Fineman and Matt Cornett.
This was a much bigger opportunity than a supporting television role.
Sam was one of the movie’s central stars.
Abby is an awkward high-school senior who wants to impress her longtime crush and hires an adult entertainer named Santa Monica, played by Fineman, to help boost her confidence.
What begins as a ridiculous plan eventually becomes a story about friendship and growing up.
Abby Flores Was Made Filipino After Sam Was Cast
One of the most interesting details about Summer of 69 involves Sam’s heritage.
Morelos told Forbes that Abby was not originally written with a specific ethnicity.
Once Sam was cast, the character became Filipina.
The production then added Filipino cultural details inside Abby’s home.
Sam pointed out things such as Filipino food and familiar household decorations.
For them, this was important.
They have spoken proudly about being Filipino-American and about wanting that identity to remain visible in the characters they play.
Nikki Also Became Filipino-American
Something similar happened on That ’90s Show.
Nikki originally did not have the surname Velasco.
By the second season, the character was Nikki Velasco.
Morelos told Forbes that their own Filipino identity naturally becomes part of their characters because it is such an important part of who they are.
That is a meaningful change in representation.
A Filipino-American actor does not necessarily have to play a character whose entire storyline is about ethnicity.
Nikki can simply be Nikki.
Abby can simply be Abby.
Their heritage exists naturally inside the story.
Sam Morelos in Regretting You
Sam followed Summer of 69 with Regretting You.
The 2025 drama is based on Colleen Hoover’s novel and was directed by Josh Boone.
It stars Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Mason Thames, and Sam Morelos.
Sam plays Lexie.
Paramount released the movie on October 24, 2025.
The story centers on a mother and daughter trying to deal with grief, betrayal, family secrets, and changing relationships after a devastating accident.
The role pushed Sam into another genre.
From sitcom comedy.
To adult comedy.
To romantic family drama.
That variety is useful for a young actor.
Sam Morelos Is Nonbinary
Morelos publicly identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.
They have also discussed being comfortable playing female characters on screen.
That includes Nikki and Abby.
An actor’s gender identity and a character’s identity do not have to be identical.
Sam’s filmography already shows that flexibility.
Sam Morelos Is Filipino-American
Sam has described themselves as a first-generation Filipino-American.
Their connection to Filipino culture existed long before Hollywood.
Their involvement with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra is one example.
And as their career has grown, Sam has increasingly spoken about wanting Filipino characters to feel normal and visible in American entertainment rather than rare or unusual.
That has become one of the most recognizable themes in their interviews.
What Is Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me?
One of Sam’s biggest current projects is Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.
The movie adapts Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s award-winning graphic novel.
Sam plays Freddie Riley, while Ava Phillippe plays Laura Dean.
Tommy Dorfman is directing.
The story follows Freddie as they deal with a painful on-again, off-again relationship with Laura and begin realizing how much that relationship is damaging important friendships.
This could become one of Sam’s biggest lead roles yet.
What Is the Status of Laura Dean in 2026?
The production remains one of Sam’s major current projects.
Wildling Pictures said in 2026 that the film was part of its active feature slate and that the company expected to complete it during 2026.
Some databases list a 2026 date.
However, a firm official wide-release date has not been consistently announced.
So it is safer to say the movie is in active production/completion during 2026, rather than promising an exact release day that may change.
Sam is playing the central role of Freddie.
That makes the project especially important for their next career stage.
How Old Is Sam Morelos in 2026?
Sam was born on July 7, 2005.
They turned 21 years old on July 7, 2026.
That age is remarkable when you look at the résumé.
By 21, Sam already had:
a Netflix sitcom,
a Disney movie,
a Hulu lead role,
a Paramount film,
and another leading feature in development.
That is a busy beginning.
Is Sam Morelos Dating Anyone?
Sam keeps their romantic life largely private.
There is no strong current public source confirming a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or other partner in 2026.
That is worth respecting.
Young actors often get pushed into relationship rumors simply because they appear beside co-stars.
There is no reason to turn a photograph or social-media interaction into a dating claim without evidence.
For now, Sam’s public story is much more about acting than romance.
Who Are Sam Morelos’ Parents?
Sam has spoken publicly about their Filipino-American background and about having a supportive family.
But detailed information about their parents is not widely documented in strong mainstream sources.
That means articles listing exact parent names or occupations should be treated carefully unless they provide reliable evidence.
Sam’s family appears proud of the acting success.
Morelos has joked that relatives call them “Hollywood” or “Nikki” at family gatherings.
That sounds like a very normal family response to someone suddenly becoming a Netflix actor.
Sam Morelos’ Height
There is no need to pretend an exact height is firmly confirmed when reliable current sources do not consistently provide one.
Celebrity databases frequently copy measurements from each other without explaining where the number came from.
Sam’s career is also still developing, and height has little importance to their acting story.
So this is one detail better left without a fake level of precision.
Sam Morelos’ Net Worth
Sam’s exact net worth is not publicly verified.
Some entertainment sites may produce estimates based on the popularity of That ’90s Show or Sam’s film roles.
Those estimates do not reveal actual finances.
To calculate a real net worth, you would need private information about:
acting contracts,
agent and manager fees,
taxes,
savings,
investments,
property,
and other assets or debts.
Sam is still very early in their career.
Any exact dollar amount should therefore be treated as speculation.
What Is Sam Morelos Doing Now in 2026?
In 2026, Sam is moving beyond the role that first made them famous.
That ’90s Show is over on Netflix.
But Sam now has several movies on their résumé.
Summer of 69 demonstrated that they could lead a feature comedy.
Regretting You placed them inside a major studio adaptation.
And Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me gives them another major central character as Freddie Riley, with the production expected to move toward completion during 2026.
That makes this a particularly interesting stage of Sam’s career.
They are no longer just “Nikki from Netflix.”
Why Sam Morelos Could Have a Long Career
Sam has several advantages.
They started performing very young.
They have musical-theater training.
They understand comedy.
They can work in dramatic stories.
They already have experience with television and film.
And they seem comfortable talking about identity without allowing identity to become the only interesting thing about their work.
Most importantly, Sam is still only 21.
There is a huge amount of time to grow.
Their first major television series ended.
Their career did not.
It moved into movies.
Final Thoughts
Sam Morelos went from a performing-arts student in California to a Netflix series regular in a remarkably short period.
They began musical theater at around four years old and originally considered themselves more of a singer.
Then the pandemic unexpectedly pushed them toward camera acting.
One teacher changed the direction of the class.
Sam discovered screen acting.
They switched departments.
Then came an open casting call for That ’90s Show.
Sam did not have a manager.
They did not have a long television résumé.
They auditioned anyway.
And they got Nikki.
That one role opened the door.
Netflix gave Sam international visibility.
Disney followed with Descendants: The Rise of Red.
Then Hulu trusted them with a lead role in Summer of 69, where Abby Flores became Filipino-American after Sam was cast.
Regretting You arrived next.
Now Sam is playing Freddie Riley in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, another major role that is moving toward completion in 2026.
They are also becoming a visible young Filipino-American performer at a time when Hollywood audiences are seeing a much broader range of Asian-American stories.
At just 21, Sam Morelos already has the kind of early career that would make many young actors jealous.
The most interesting part is that it still feels like the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sam Morelos
Who is Sam Morelos?
Sam Morelos is a Filipino-American actor, director, and producer best known for playing Nikki Velasco in Netflix’s That ’90s Show.
How old is Sam Morelos?
Sam was born on July 7, 2005, making them 21 years old in 2026.
Where was Sam Morelos born?
They were born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up around the San Gabriel Valley.
Is Sam Morelos Filipino?
Yes. Sam identifies proudly as Filipino-American and has spoken frequently about making Filipino representation visible through their roles.
What pronouns does Sam Morelos use?
Sam identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.
Who did Sam Morelos play in That ’90s Show?
They played Nikki Velasco, Nate’s intelligent and ambitious girlfriend.
How many episodes of That ’90s Show was Sam Morelos in?
IMDb credits Sam with 26 episodes from 2023 to 2024.
Was That ’90s Show canceled?
Yes. Netflix canceled the series after two seasons in October 2024.
Was Sam Morelos in Descendants: The Rise of Red?
Yes. Sam played Meadow, a Merlin Academy student. The role had earlier been announced under the name Zellie.
Who does Sam Morelos play in Summer of 69?
They play Abby Flores, one of the central characters in the 2025 Hulu comedy.
Is Abby Flores Filipino?
Yes. Morelos said Abby became Filipina after Sam was cast, allowing the filmmakers to incorporate Filipino cultural details into the character’s home and identity.
Who does Sam Morelos play in Regretting You?
Sam plays Lexie in the 2025 Paramount drama based on Colleen Hoover’s novel.
When was Regretting You released?
Paramount released it on October 24, 2025.
Who does Sam Morelos play in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me?
Sam plays Freddie Riley, opposite Ava Phillippe as Laura Dean.
Is Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me coming in 2026?
The production company said it expected to complete the movie during 2026. A firm widely confirmed release date has not yet been established.
Did Sam Morelos study acting?
Yes. They attended California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley and trained in acting after earlier focusing heavily on musical theater.
Did Sam Morelos start as a singer?
Yes. Sam has said they considered themselves a singer first and began performing musical theater at around four years old.
Is Sam Morelos dating anyone?
There is no reliable current public information confirming a romantic partner in 2026.
What is Sam Morelos’ net worth?
Their exact net worth is not independently verified. Specific figures on celebrity-estimate websites should be treated as speculation.
What is Sam Morelos doing now?
Sam is continuing their film career after That ’90s Show, with recent roles in Summer of 69 and Regretting You and a leading role in the developing film Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.
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