Sam Neill
Acting
- Born:
- 1947-09-14
- Died:
- 2026-07-13
- Place of birth:
- Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK
Biography
Sir Nigel John Dermot 'Sam' Neill (September 14, 1947 – July 13, 2026) was a New Zealand actor. His career included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an 'international leading man', he is regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Born in Northern Ireland to an English mother and New Zealand father, Neill moved to Christchurch with his family in 1954. He first achieved recognition with his appearance in the film Sleeping Dogs (1977), which he followed with leading roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), Omen III: The Final Conflict, Possession (both 1981), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Piano (1993), and In the Mouth of Madness (1994). He came to international prominence as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), reprising the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Dominion (2022). Outside of film, Neill appeared in numerous television series in guest and recurring roles, including Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983), The Simpsons (1994), The Tudors (2007), Crusoe (2008–2010), Happy Town (2010), Alcatraz (2012), and Rick and Morty (2019). He also starred as the titular character in Merlin (1998) and Merlin's Apprentice (2006), and as Major Chester Campbell in the first two series of Peaky Blinders (2013–2014). He has presented and narrated several documentaries. Neill received the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Longford Lyell Award, the New Zealand Film Award, and the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor. He also had three Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy nominations. He won the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor at the 2023 Logies. Neill passed away at age 78 on 13 July 2026, in Sydney, Australia. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that he remained cancer free. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Neill, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Filmography
The Legend of Zelda
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
The Last Resort
The Fox
Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke
UNTAMED
The Assembly
T. REX
Apples Never Fall
Bring Him to Me
Scarygirl
The Portable Door
Assassin Club
Thor: Love and Thunder
The Twelve
Voice Activated
Jurassic Greatest Moments: Jurassic Park to Jurassic World
Jurassic World Dominion
Invasion
Trial In The Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story
The Real Hunt for Red October
Russell Howard Stands Up to the World
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal
Rams
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
Sea Lions: Life By a Whisker
The Movies That Made Us
The Show Must Go On
Ride Like a Girl
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Blackbird
Palm Beach
Flack
The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook
Anika Moa Unleashed
Peter Rabbit
Sweet Country
The Commuter
Thor: Ragnarok
Get Krack!n
Tommy's Honour
House of Bond
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
Tutankhamun
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
And Then There Were None
The Daughter
MindGamers
The Odyssey (Two Paddocks)
Backtrack
Odyssey sur les traces de Sam Neill
Why Anzac with Sam Neill
The Dovekeepers
House of Hancock
United Passions
Old School
A Long Way Down
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box
Rick and Morty
Escape Plan
Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery
Peaky Blinders
The Ordained
Harry
The Vow
Alcatraz
The Hunter
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
The Dragon Pearl
Return to Jurassic Park
Ice
Ice
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
The Making of Daybreakers
Happy Town
Daybreakers
Under the Mountain
Iron Road
Skin
Iron Road
In Her Skin
The Man in the Hat
Dean Spanley
Crusoe
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
The Pixar Story
The Tudors
The Graham Norton Show
Angel
Two Twisted
Irresistible
The Making of 'Event Horizon'
Merlin's Apprentice
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
Voyage of the Nautilus
The Triangle
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
Yes
Little Fish
To the Ends of the Earth
New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English
Gallipoli
Colin McCahon: I Am
Wimbledon
Jessica
Jessica
Stiff
The Making of Sleeping Dogs
Perfect Strangers
Doctor Zhivago
Dirty Deeds
Framed
The Making Of Jurassic Park III
Richard & Judy
The Zookeeper
SuperCroc
Space
Jurassic Park III
Submerged
The Magic Pudding
The Dish
Inside The Living Daylights
My Mother Frank
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
Numero Bruno
Bicentennial Man
Rove
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
The Games
The Revengers' Comedies
Merlin
The Horse Whisperer
Forgotten Silver
Event Horizon
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
The Rainbow Warrior
Children of the Revolution
Victory
In Cold Blood
Australian Story
Restoration
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
In the Mouth of Madness
The Jungle Book
Country Life
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Sirens
Split Enz: Spellbound
Jurassic Park
The Piano
Family Pictures
Inside 'The Piano'
Hostage
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
One Against the Wind
Until the End of the World
Fever
Death in Brunswick
Shadow of China
The Hunt for Red October
Cowboys of Culture
The Simpsons
The French Revolution
Dead Calm
Evil Angels
Question of Faith
The Good Wife
Amerika
For Love Alone
Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine
Kane & Abel
Plenty
Robbery Under Arms
The Blood of Others
The Country Girls
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Enigma
Attack Force Z
Ivanhoe
From a Far Country
Possession
The Final Conflict
Lucinda Brayford
The Journalist
Just Out Of Reach
My Brilliant Career
Surf Sail
Sleeping Dogs
The Governor
Architect Athfield
The Sullivans
Four Shorts on Architecture
Ashes
Landfall
Hunt's Duffer
The Water Cycle
Film '72
The City of No
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Mystery Ride