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Sam Neill

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Sam Neill
Neill in 2010
Born
Nigel John Dermot Neill

(1947-09-14)14 September 1947
Omagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Died13 July 2026(2026-07-13) (aged 78)
Citizenship
  • New Zealand
  • UK
  • Ireland
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1969–2026
WorksFull list
Spouse
Noriko Watanabe
(m. 1989; sep. 2017)
Children4

Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (14 September 1947 – 13 July 2026) was a New Zealand actor. Known as a leading man in film and television, he received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours for services as an actor.

Born in Northern Ireland to an English mother and a 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), followed by leading roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), The Final Conflict (1981), Possession (1981), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), Death in Brunswick (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Until the End of the World (1991), The Piano (1993), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), Event Horizon (1997), The Dish (2000) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). He came to international prominence as Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), a role he reprised in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

On television, he portrayed Merlin in the miniseries Merlin (1998) and Merlin's Apprentice (2006), the former of which earned him nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award. He was also Golden Globe-nominated for playing historic spy Sidney Reilly in Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983) and a British officer during World War II in One Against the Wind (1991). In addition, he played Thomas Wolsey in The Tudors (2007) and Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders (2013–2014). He was also known for narrating various documentary projects.

Early life, education and early theatre work

[edit]

Nigel John Dermot Neill was born on 14 September 1947 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to an English mother, Priscilla Beatrice Ingham, and a New Zealand father, Dermot Neill.[1] As a result, he held three documented citizenships: Irish, British and New Zealand.[2][3] His great-grandfather, Percival "Percy" Neill, the son of a wine merchant who imported wine from France, had left Belfast for Australia where he joined a firm of merchants in Melbourne, eventually moving to New Zealand and settling in Dunedin in 1863.[4][5][6] At the time of Neill's birth, his father was stationed in Northern Ireland, serving as an officer with the Royal Irish Fusiliers.[7] His father's family owned Neill and Co., later part of the listed hospitality group Wilson Neill.[8][9]

In 1954, the Neill family moved to New Zealand and settled in the Christchurch suburb of Cashmere.[10] Neill attended Cashmere Primary School and Medbury School, a private preparatory school.[11] After a year, his parents and younger sister, Juliet, moved south to his father's home city of Dunedin. They lived at Macandrew Bay, where they were free to roam during the holidays.[12] As a child, Neill had a stammer; during a 2004 interview on the Australian talk show Enough Rope, Andrew Denton briefly discussed this stutter and Neill recalled how deeply it had affected him and that he often found himself "hoping that people wouldn't talk to [him]" so he would not have to answer, adding "I kind of outgrew it [but] you can still detect me as a stammerer."[13] He began calling himself "Sam" at school because several other boys were named Nigel, and because he felt the name Nigel was "a little effete for ... a New Zealand playground".[13][14][15] From 1961, he was a boarding pupil at Christ's College, an Anglican boys' boarding and day school in Christchurch.[10]

He attended the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, but was uncertain about a career and decided not to follow his father into the army or the family firm. He considered law, but failed all four units in his first year.[16] He appeared in several university productions, including playing Theseus in 1969 in A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Ngaio Marsh for the Canterbury University Drama Society.[17]

Neill acted in the 1969 production by Mervyn Thompson of Marat/Sade. When it transferred to Wellington at the Downstage Theatre at the end of 1969 and another actor withdrew, Neill replaced him as Jacques Roux.[18] He described the experience as "the time of [his] life" and observed that the arts were "part of the fabric of the city" unlike in Christchurch or Dunedin.[18] Having relocated to Wellington, he transferred to Victoria University of Wellington for a year to complete his Bachelor of Arts,[19][20] and graduated from Victoria University with a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1970.[21][22] He played Macbeth in a university production directed by Phillip Mann.[23] He then joined Downstage as a professional actor as Pentheus in Euripides' The Bacchae, earning $35 per week plus leftover food from the kitchen after the audience dinner.[23]

Screen career

[edit]

1971–1979: Early work in New Zealand

[edit]
Stills from Landfall (1974)

Neill's first film was The City of No (1971), a New Zealand television film.[24] He followed it with a short film, The Water Cycle (1972), and the television film Hunt's Duffer (1973). Neill wrote and directed films for the New Zealand National Film Unit including Phone (1974),[25] Flare - A Ski Trip (1977) and Architect Athfield (1977).[26][27] He also appeared in Landfall (1975).[28] His breakthrough performance in New Zealand was Sleeping Dogs (1977), the first local film to be widely screened overseas.[29]

Neill moved to Australia, where he had a guest role in the drama TV show The Sullivans. He was the romantic male lead in My Brilliant Career (1979), opposite Judy Davis, which achieved international success.[30] He appeared in several Australian films that were less widely seen, including The Journalist (1979), Just Out of Reach (1979) and Attack Force Z (1981), and in television productions such as Young Ramsay[31] and Lucinda Brayford.[32]

1981–1989: Transition to Hollywood

[edit]

In 1981, Neill won his first major international role as Damien Thorn in The Final Conflict.[33] In the same year, he played a leading role in Andrzej Żuławski's cult film Possession.[33]

The 1982 adaptation of Ivanhoe made Neill a local celebrity in Sweden, where the film has been broadcast on SVT every New Year's Day for four decades.[34]

He was one of the leading candidates to succeed Roger Moore as James Bond, but the role ultimately went to Timothy Dalton.[35] Among his Australian roles was Michael Chamberlain in Evil Angels (1988) (released as A Cry in the Dark outside Australia and New Zealand),[36] a film about the case of Azaria Chamberlain.

Neill at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

Neill played heroes and occasional villains in a succession of film and television dramas and comedies. In the UK, he gained early fame and a Golden Globe nomination for portraying Sidney Reilly in the miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983).[37] An early American starring role was in Amerika (1987), in which he played a senior KGB officer overseeing the occupation and division of a defeated United States.[38] His leading and co-starring roles in films included Dead Calm (1989)[33] and the two-part historical epic La Révolution française (1989), in which he portrayed the Marquis de Lafayette.[39]

1990–1999: Leading man roles

[edit]

Neill solidified his leading-man status with The Hunt for Red October (1990), Death in Brunswick (1990)[33] (in which he was re-teamed with old friend John Clarke), Jurassic Park (1993),[40] Sirens (1994), The Jungle Book (1994), John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness (1995), Event Horizon (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999), the comedy The Dish (2000),[33] and Jurassic Park III (2001). He continued to act in New Zealand films, including Jane Campion's The Piano (1993),[41] Perfect Strangers (2003),[41] Under the Mountain (2009),[41] and Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016).[41]

He returned to directing with the documentary Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995), which he wrote and directed with Judy Rymer.[42]

In 1993, Neill co-starred with Anne Archer in Question of Faith, an independent drama based on a true story. In 2000, he voiced Sam Sawnoff in The Magic Pudding. In 2001, he hosted and narrated the BBC documentary series Space (titled Hyperspace in the United States).[43] He portrayed the titular character in the 1998 miniseries Merlin and later reprised the role in Merlin's Apprentice (2006).[1]

2000–2025: Television work and final roles

[edit]

Neill starred in the historical drama TV series The Tudors as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. "I have to say I really enjoyed making The Tudors", he said,[44] "It was six months with a character that I found immensely intriguing, with a cast that I liked very much and with a story I found very compelling. It has elements that are hard to beat: revenge and betrayal, lust and treason, all the things that make for good stories."[44]

Neill at Burghound Asia in Singapore in 2011

He acted in the short-lived Fox TV series Alcatraz (2012) as Emerson Hauser. He played Otto Luger in the fantasy adventure film The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (2014).[45] He appeared in Peaky Blinders as Chief Inspector Chest Campbell, a corrupt and sadistic policeman sent by Winston Churchill to clean up post-war Birmingham. In the 2015 BBC miniseries And Then There Were None, based on Agatha Christie's novel, he played General John MacArthur.[46]

In 2016, Neill starred in the New Zealand-made film Hunt for the Wilderpeople and the ITV miniseries Tutankhamun. In 2017, he appeared in Thor: Ragnarok portraying an actor playing Odin. He reprised the same meta‑role in Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022.[41]

In 2018, Neill portrayed Mr. McGregor and voiced Tommy Brock in Peter Rabbit. In 2019, he was initially cast as Denis Goldberg in Escape from Pretoria, but the role was later recast. Later that year, he was announced to reprise Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic World Dominion, released in June 2022.[47]

In 2022, Neill appeared in the Foxtel legal drama The Twelve as Brett Colby. When the series was renewed for a second season, he was the only returning cast member.[48] On 16 September 2024, it was announced that The Twelve had been renewed for a third season, with Neill again returning.[49] On 6 December 2024, he was nominated for a 2025 AACTA Awards for his role on The Twelve.[50]

On 21 June 2024, Neill was named in the cast for the Netflix drama Untamed.[51] On 15 April 2025, his casting in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova was announced.[52] On 16 May 2025, Neill was seen filming in the Philippines for the romantic comedy The Last Resort.[53]

Personal life

[edit]

In his early 20s, Neill fathered a son who was placed for adoption. They were reunited in 1994.[54] In 1980, Neill had a son with the actress Lisa Harrow whom he had met while filming The Final Conflict.[55] He married make-up artist Noriko Watanabe in 1989 and they had a daughter together. He also adopted Watanabe's daughter from her first marriage.[56][57] They separated in 2017.[58][59] Neill dated the Australian political journalist Laura Tingle from 2018 to 2021.[60][61][62] As of 2023, he had eight grandchildren.[63]

Neill lived in Alexandra, in New Zealand's Central Otago region, and owned a winery called Two Paddocks, consisting of a vineyard at Gibbston and two near Alexandra, all within the Central Otago wine region.[64] His avocation was running Two Paddocks. "I'd like the vineyard to support me but I'm afraid it is the other way round. It is not a very economic business", said Neill,[44] adding, "It is a ridiculously time- and money-consuming business. I would not do it if it was not so satisfying and fun, and it gets me pissed once in a while."[44] He enjoyed sharing his farm exploits on social media.[65] He named his farm animals after film industry colleagues.[66]

He wrote a memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, published in March 2023.[67][68]

Politics

[edit]

In 2016, he criticised the policies of New South Wales premier Mike Baird on lockout laws and the ban on greyhound racing.[69] Neill spoke positively about the premiership of Jacinda Ardern.[70] He was a member of the Equity New Zealand trade union from 1979 until his death in 2026.[71]

In 2025, New Zealand resources minister Shane Jones called Neill "wrong and anti-Kiwi" for his opposition to an open-cast gold mine proposed near Cromwell.[72] Neill supported the local advocacy group Sustainable Tarras, which organised events against the mining proposal. He described Santana Minerals' proposal as "ruinous for the region".[73] Following his death, Neill's friend Roger Donaldson said that the online abuse and hostility Neill received, starting with Jones' comments, "took its toll" on Neill and may have "undermined his health in the very end".[74]

Health and death

[edit]

In March 2023, Neill revealed that he had been undergoing chemotherapy since March 2022 after being diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, following swollen glands that were first noticed during publicity for Jurassic World Dominion.[68] He stated that the cancer was in remission but he would require monthly chemotherapy for the rest of his life.[75][68] In April 2026, Neill said that after his chemotherapy had stopped working he underwent CAR T-cell therapy as part of an Australian clinical trial. He also said that a recent scan showed no cancer in his body and advocated wider access to the treatment for blood cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand.[76]

Neill died from pneumonia in Sydney, Australia, on 13 July 2026 aged 78.[77][78]

Acting credits and accolades

[edit]
Awards and nominations received by Sam Neill
Year Organisations Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1985 Golden Globes Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Reilly: Ace of Spies Nominated [79]
1989 AFI Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Evil Angels / A Cry in the Dark Won [80]
1991 Death in Brunswick Nominated [81]
1992 Golden Globes Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film One Against the Wind Nominated [79]
1993 AFI Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Piano Nominated [82]
American Television Awards Best Actor in a Miniseries Family Pictures Nominated [83]
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Memoirs of an Invisible Man Nominated [84]
1998 Online Film & Television Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Merlin Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated [85]
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Actor Event Horizon Nominated [83]
1999 Golden Globes Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Merlin Nominated [79]
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favourite Supporting Actor – Drama/Romance The Horse Whisperer Nominated [83]
2000 AFI Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role My Mother Frank Nominated [86]
2001 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Best Actor The Zookeeper Won [87]
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor – Male The Dish Nominated [83]
2004 AFI Awards Best Telefeature or Mini-Series The Brush-Off Nominated [88]
Best Direction in Television Nominated
Best Leading Actor in a Television Drama or Comedy Jessica Nominated
2005 Logie Awards TV Week Silver Logie For Most Outstanding Actor Won [89]
Most Outstanding Mini-Series / Telemovie The Brush-Off Nominated
New Zealand Screen Awards Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Perfect Strangers Nominated [83]
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Little Fish Nominated [83]
2006 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor on Television The Triangle Nominated [83]
2008 Gemini Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series The Tudors Nominated [83]
Monte-Carlo TV Festival Outstanding Actor – Drama Series Nominated
2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film Dean Spanley Nominated [90]
2010 Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film Under the Mountain Nominated
New Zealand Screen Awards Best New Zealand Export Won [91]
2012 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor – Supporting Role The Hunter Nominated [83]
AACTA Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated [83]
2016 The Daughter Nominated [92]
Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actor House of Hancock Nominated [93]
Australian Movie Convention AIMC Lifetime Achievement Award Won [94]
Film Club's The Lost Weekend Awards Best Supporting Actor Hunt for the Wilderpeople Won [95]
2017 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards Won [96]
NCFCA Awards Nominated [97]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Narrator New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands Nominated [83]
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor – Supporting Role The Daughter Nominated [83]
AFCA Awards Best Supporting Actor Won [83]
2019 Sweet Country Won [83]
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor – Supporting Role Nominated [83]
New Zealand Television Awards Best Presenter: Entertainment The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill Nominated [98]
AACTA Awards Longford Lyell Award Won [83]
The Equity Ensemble Awards Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award Won [71]
Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival Grand Honorary Award Won [99]
2020 AFCA Awards Best Supporting Actor Ride Like a Girl Nominated [83]
AACTA Awards Best Lead Actor Rams Nominated [83]
2022 Best Lead Actor In A Drama The Twelve Nominated [83]
2023 Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actor Nominated [83]
TV Week Silver Logie For Most Popular Actor Won [83]
2025 AACTA Awards Best Lead Actor In A Drama Nominated [83]
2025 Logie Awards Best Lead Actor in a Drama Won [100]

Reputation and honours

[edit]

Neill's career, which spanned over five decades, involved leading roles in both independent films and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he was regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.[101][102] He was the recipient of 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 received three Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.[103] He won the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor[104] at the 2023 Logies.

Neill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services as an actor.[105] In the 2007 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM).[106] When knighthoods were returned to the New Zealand royal honours system in 2009, those with DCNZM or higher honours were given the option of converting them into knighthoods. Neill chose not to do this, saying the title of Sir was "just far too grand, by far".[107] However, in June 2022, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.[108]

Neill was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Canterbury in 2002.[109] He was awarded the 2019 Equity New Zealand Lifetime achievement award, celebrating his distinguished performance career, as well as his leadership and mentoring towards others in the acting industry.[71] In 2020, he received an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award, an honour limited to 20 living recipients at any one time.[110]

Published works

[edit]
Year Title Publisher Pages Notes
2023 Did I Ever Tell You This? A Memoir Melbourne: The Text Publishing Company

London: Michael Joseph Ltd.

400 Booktopia's Top 10 Favourite Books, 2024
2024 Did I Ever Tell You This? A Memoir (fully revised and updated with new writing) Melbourne: The Text Publishing Company

London: Michael Joseph Ltd.

432
  • Neill, Sam (2023). Did I Ever Tell You This?: A Memoir. London: Michael Joseph Ltd. ISBN 9780241648988. OCLC 1356450549.
  • Neill, Sam (2023). Did I Ever Tell You This?: A Memoir. Melbourne: The Text Publishing Company. ISBN 9781922790309. (Australian edition)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Barnes, Mike (12 July 2026). "Sam Neill, Actor in 'Jurassic Park' and 'The Piano', Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  2. "Sam Neill on life, love, lymphoma and his brilliant career". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024. I've got three citizenships: Irish, British and New Zealand.
  3. "Sam Neill on what he's learned". Belfast Telegraph. 14 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024. I've got three passports. New Zealand, British and Irish
  4. "PERCIVAL CLAY NEILL Biography – Dunedin". Northern Cemetery. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. Scott, Louise (6 January 2016). ""New cellar door pops up in Neill's life"". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. Jung, Susan (21 April 2013). "My life: Sam Neill". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. Condon, Eileen (8 May 2001). "Dishy Sam's got space aspirations; For an actor fascinated by space travel Sam Neill must have thought he'd landed a dream role with his new film, The Dish. The Omagh-born actor talks to Eileen Condon about his latest role". The News Letter. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
  8. Beech, James (4 March 2014). "Vineyard named in honour of father". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  9. Wilson, Annabel (21 November 2017). "Obituary: Otago businessman Robert Wilson remembered as food industry pioneer". Stuff (company). Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Sam Neill in Uncharted territory with new series". The New Zealand Herald. 4 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  11. Matthews, Philips (24 March 2023). "Sir Sam Neill says 'generation of inbreeding' at elite Christchurch school". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  12. Neill 2023, pp. 45, 46. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFNeill2023 (help)
  13. 1 2 "Sam Neill". Enough Rope with Andrew Denton. Episode 45. Australia. 7 June 2004. ABC. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
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  15. "Nigel, Neville??". Lexigame.com. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  16. "Apples Never Fall star Sam Neill's life from biggest roles to cancer battle". Manchester Evening News. 21 September 2024. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  17. "The University of Canterbury Drama Society presents William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, produced by Ngaio Marsh". DigitalNZ.org. 1969. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 Neill 2023, pp. 86–89. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFNeill2023 (help)
  19. "Sam Neill: Actor known for starring role as Jurassic Park paleontologist". Keighley News. PA News Agency. 12 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  20. Neill, Sam (2023). Did I Ever Tell You This? A Memoir. Text Publishing Company. pp. 96–98. ISBN 9781922791382.
  21. Frost, Natasha; Woolfe, Zachary (13 July 2026). "Sam Neill, Leading Man in 'Jurassic Park', Dies at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  22. Ripley, Amy (13 July 2026). "Vale Sam Neill: Honorary Australian who charmed on and off the screen". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  23. 1 2 Neill 2023, pp. 90–93. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFNeill2023 (help)
  24. Young, Liz (15 July 2026). "5 Best Sam Neill Movies Everyone Needs To Watch At Least Once". BGR. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  25. "Phone | Television". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  26. Darling, Stan (8 October 1977). "Publicity—just as tiring as running". The Press. p. 15. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  27. Jones, Russell (21 November 1977). "A good week for comedy". The Press. p. 14. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  28. "Landfall – A Film about Ourselves: Television". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. Cain, Sian (13 July 2026). "Sam Neill, star of Jurassic Park films, Peaky Blinders and The Piano, dies aged 78". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  30. King, Susan (1 December 1991). "'One Against Wind' reunites Neill and Davis". TV. Pittsburgh Press. p. 4. Retrieved 27 July 2026 via newspapers.com. Movie audiences were first introduced to the quiet intensity of Sam Neill when he starred opposite another newcomer, Judy Davis, in the acclaimed Australian film "My Brilliant Career." In the ensuing decade, Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, has developed his own rather brilliant career
  31. "Saturday TV", The Age, 6 March 1980
  32. Courtis, Brian (13 June 1980), "Wet start to soap opera", The Age
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 "For Your Consideration: Sam Neill for the FANGORIA Hall of Fame!". Fangoria. 11 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016.
  34. "Ivanhoe-skådespelarens nyårshälsning till svenskarna: "Stolt över er"". STV (in Swedish). 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  35. Andaloro, Angela (13 July 2026). "Sam Neill Once Revealed the Sweet Reason Why He Didn't Want to Play James Bond After Screen Testing for the Role". People. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  36. "A Cry in the Dark (1988) – Release dates". IMDb. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  37. Milton, Stephen (14 May 2016). "What I've Learned: Sam Neill". Belfast Telegraph. p. 22. Retrieved 27 July 2026 via newspapers.com. Early film roles in Sleeping Dogs, My Brilliant Career and The Omen III earned him recognition, but it was his titular performance in 1980s miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies that made him a household name and garnered the first of three Golden Globe nominations.
  38. Cultural Criticism 1969–1990: From Architectural Damages to Press Imperfections, Heinz-Dietrich Fischer, ‎Erika J. Fischer, De Gruyter, 2011, page 319
  39. Curtis, Amy (13 July 2026). "'Jurassic Park' Actor Sam Neill Dies at 78". Townhall. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  40. Yasharoff, Hannah (25 September 2019). "Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill to return for 'major roles' in 'Jurassic World 3'". USA Today. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sam Neill – Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 10 April 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  42. "A Cinema of Unease A Personal Journey by Sam Neill". British Film Institute. 1995. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  43. "BBC One - Space". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 July 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Pam (4 February 2008). "A glorious romp through history". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008.
  45. Dawtrey, Adam (11 April 2012). "Aneurin Barnard tapped for Mariah Mundi". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  46. Gilbert, Gerard (21 December 2015). "And Then There Was Carnage". The Independent. London. p. 37. Retrieved 27 July 2026 via newspapers.com. Sam Neill, who plays General MacArthur, a retired First World War hero guilty of sending his late wife's lover to his certain death
  47. "Jurassic Park trio Laura Dern, Sam Neill, & Jeff Goldblum returning for Jurassic World 3". Deadline. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  48. "Western Australia's Largest Production, Sam Neill-Starring 'The Twelve Season 2' Gets Under Way – Global Bulletin". Variety. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  49. Rigden, Clare (15 September 2024). "Sam Neill happy to be returning to film The Twelve in WA". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  50. Knox, David (7 December 2024). "2025 AACTA Awards: nominations". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  51. Andreeva, Nellie (21 June 2024). "Sam Neill Joins Eric Bana In Netflix Limited Series 'Untamed'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  52. Galuppo, Mia (15 April 2025). "Next 'Godzilla x Kong' Movie Enlists Sam Neill". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  53. Cagape, E. Kristhoff. "'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill arrives in PH to film 'The Last Resort'". ABS-CBN. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  54. Wilson, Fiona (11 October 2014). "What I've learnt: Sam Neill". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  55. Catherall, Sarah (28 March 2018). "Lisa Harrow reflects on the pivotal moments in her colourful career". The New Zealand Listener. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018.
  56. "Sam Neill: Home at Last". www.twopaddocks.com. 31 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  57. "Sam Neill – Family & Companions". Yahoo!. 10 January 1991. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  58. "Sam Neill's Love Triangle". Woman's Day. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  59. "Actor Sam Neill on family, friends, film and his other passion: winemaking". Australian Financial Review. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  60. Robin, Myriam (4 February 2018). "Actor Sam Neill and AFR political editor Laura Tingle start dating". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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