Sampath Raj (born 25 December 1968) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to Kannada and Malayalam films.
He is best known for his appearances in director Venkat Prabhu's trilogy, which includes Chennai 600028, Saroja, and Goa. In addition to these films, he has played supporting roles in various other projects, often portraying negative characters. He won the Nandi Award for Best Villain for his performance in Mirchi (2013). After a sabbatical, he returned to Kannada cinema with Shourya (2010).
Sampath was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and spent his childhood in various places like Punjab, Bengaluru, and Delhi. His father was a military doctor from Nellore, while his mother hails from Srirangam. Sampath who had interest in acting joined theatre and appeared in various stage plays. He started his career in Kannada cinema with Preethi Prema Pranaya (2003) and Bimba (2004). He made his debut in Tamil with Neranja Manasu (2004) portraying a negative role.