Amanda Burton (born October 10, 1956 in Balloughry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is an actor best known for her role as forensic pathologist Doctor (later Professor) Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness (from 1996). She left the series in 2004, saying that she did not want "to be forever associated with it". Burton was born in Balloughry, Co. Derry, a Protestant area of Northern Ireland, as the youngest of four daughters of a primary school headmaster. Some of her notable television appearances include Brookside (1982-86) and Peak Practice (1993-95). After Silent Witness, Burton also took on the role of Prosecutor Helen West in a series based on Frances Fyfield's novels. She also played Aunt Polly in a 2003 remake of Pollyanna.
Amanda Burton's first marriage was to Jonathan Hartley (1977-1982). Since 1989 she has been married to photographer Sven Arnstein. The couple have two children - Phoebe (born 1989) and Brid (born 1991) - and live in London.
Pollyanna (1960)
