Sam Neill
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 14, 1947
- Died
- July 13, 2026 (aged 78)
- Birthplace
- 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
Photos
Filmography
Mystery Ride
Movie · as Duncan Connelly
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
Movie
The Last Resort
Movie · as Gerard
The Legend of Zelda
Movie
The Fox
Movie · as The Magpie (voice)
Dinosaur Drive-In
Movie · as Self - (archive footage)
Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke
Movie · as Self
UNTAMED
TV · as Paul Souter · 6 eps
T. REX
Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)
Apples Never Fall
TV · as Stan Delaney · 7 eps
The Assembly
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Assassin Club
Movie · as Caldwell
Bring Him to Me
Movie · as Frank
Scarygirl
Movie · as Dr. Maybee (voice)
The Portable Door
Movie · as Dennis Tanner
Voice Activated
Movie · as Audiobook Narrator (voice)
Jurassic Greatest Moments: Jurassic Park to Jurassic World
Movie · as Self
Thor: Love and Thunder
Movie · as Actor Odin
Jurassic World Dominion
Movie · as Alan Grant
The Twelve
TV · as Brett Colby · 26 eps
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Movie · as Tommy Brock (voice)
Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal
Movie · as Frankie Scales (voice)
Invasion
TV · as Jim Bell Tyson · 1 ep
Trial In The Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story
TV · as Self - Host · 3 eps
The Real Hunt for Red October
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Russell Howard Stands Up to the World
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Rams
Movie · as Colin
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Sea Lions: Life By a Whisker
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
TV · as Self - Narrator · 3 eps
Ride Like a Girl
Movie · as Paddy Payne
Blackbird
Movie · as Tom
The Show Must Go On
Movie · as Self
Palm Beach
Movie · as Leo
The Movies That Made Us
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Flack
TV · as Duncan Paulson · 2 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Peter Rabbit
Movie · as Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
The Commuter
Movie · as Captain Hawthorne
Sweet Country
Movie · as Fred Smith
Anika Moa Unleashed
TV · as Self · 13 eps
The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook
TV · as Self - Host · 6 eps
Tommy's Honour
Movie · as Alexander Boothby
Thor: Ragnarok
Movie · as Actor Odin
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
Movie · as Self
Get Krack!n
TV · as Self · 1 ep
House of Bond
TV · as Roland “Tiny” Rowland · 2 eps
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Movie · as Hec
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
TV · as Narrator (voice) · 3 eps
Tutankhamun
TV · as Lord Carnarvon · 4 eps
Backtrack
Movie · as Duncan Stewart
The Daughter
Movie · as Walter
Why Anzac with Sam Neill
Movie · as Self
MindGamers
Movie · as Kreutz
Odyssey sur les traces de Sam Neill
Movie · as God
The Odyssey (Two Paddocks)
Movie · as Himself
Out of the Mist: An Alternate History of New Zealand Cinema
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
And Then There Were None
TV · as General John MacArthur · 3 eps
House of Hancock
TV · as Lang Hancock · 2 eps
The Dovekeepers
TV · 2 eps
A Long Way Down
Movie · as Chris Crichton
United Passions
Movie · as Joao Havelange
Old School
TV · as Ted McCabe · 8 eps
Escape Plan
Movie · as Dr. Kyrie
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box
Movie · as Otto Luger
The Ordained
Movie · as Governor Michael Thomas Riley
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
Movie · as Self
Harry
TV · as DSS Jim Stockton · 6 eps
Rick and Morty
TV · as Monogatron Leader (voice) · 1 ep
Peaky Blinders
TV · as C.I. Chester Campbell, Major Chester Campbell · 6 eps
Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Vow
Movie · as Bill Thornton
Alcatraz
TV · as Emerson Hauser · 13 eps
Ice
Movie · as Anthony Kavanagh
The Hunter
Movie · as Jack Mindy
Return to Jurassic Park
Movie · as Self
The Dragon Pearl
Movie · as Chris Chase
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Ice
TV · as Anthony Kavanagh · 2 eps
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Movie · as Allomere (voice)
Daybreakers
Movie · as Charles Bromley
The Making of Daybreakers
Movie · as Self
Happy Town
TV · as Merritt Grieves · 8 eps
Under the Mountain
Movie · as Mr. Jones
Skin
Movie · as Abraham Laing
In Her Skin
Movie · as Mr. Reid
Iron Road
Movie · as Alfred Nichol
The Man in the Hat
Movie · as Reader of Correspondence
Iron Road
TV · as Alfred Nichol · 2 eps
Dean Spanley
Movie · as Dean Spanley
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
Movie · as Narrator
Crusoe
TV · as Jeremiah Blackthorn · 13 eps
Angel
Movie · as Théo
The Pixar Story
Movie · as Alan Grant (archive footage)
The Graham Norton Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
The Tudors
TV · as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey · 10 eps
Irresistible
Movie · as Craig
Voyage of the Nautilus
Movie · as Hubert Wilkins
The Making of 'Event Horizon'
Movie · as Self
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
Movie · as Self
Merlin's Apprentice
TV · as Merlin · 2 eps
Two Twisted
TV · as Mick · 1 ep
Yes
Movie · as Anthony
Little Fish
Movie · as The Jockey
Gallipoli
Movie · as Narrator
New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English
Movie · as Self
The Triangle
TV · as Eric Benerall · 1 ep
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
TV · as Governor Arthur Phillip · 2 eps
To the Ends of the Earth
TV · as Mr. Prettiman · 3 eps
Wimbledon
Movie · as Dennis Bradbury
Stiff
Movie · as Lionel Merricks
The Making of Sleeping Dogs
Movie · as Self
Jessica
Movie · as Richard Runche
Colin McCahon: I Am
Movie · as Narrator
Jessica
TV · 3 eps
Perfect Strangers
Movie · as Man
Dirty Deeds
Movie · as Ray
Framed
Movie · as Eddie Meyers
Doctor Zhivago
TV · as Victor Ippolitovich Komarovsky · 3 eps
Jurassic Park III
Movie · as Dr. Alan Grant
Submerged
Movie · as Lt. Cmdr. Charles B. 'Swede' Momsen
The Zookeeper
Movie · as Ludovic
The Making Of Jurassic Park III
Movie · as Self
SuperCroc
Movie · as narrator
Richard & Judy
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Space
TV · as Himself · 6 eps
The Dish
Movie · as Cliff Buxton - Dish Master
The Magic Pudding
Movie · as Sam Sawnoff (voice)
Numero Bruno
Movie · as Self
My Mother Frank
Movie · as Professor Mortlock
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
Movie · as Thomas Jefferson
Inside The Living Daylights
Movie · as Self (archival footage)
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
TV · as Thomas Jefferson · 2 eps
Bicentennial Man
Movie · as Sir
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Movie · as Prime Minister Gibson
Rove
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Horse Whisperer
Movie · as Robert MacLean
The Revengers' Comedies
Movie · as Henry Bell
The Games
TV · as Citytrans World CEO · 1 ep
Merlin
TV · as Merlin · 2 eps
Event Horizon
Movie · as Weir
Forgotten Silver
Movie · as Self
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
Movie · as Lord Friedrich Hoffman
The Rainbow Warrior
Movie · as Chief Inspector Alan Galbraith
Children of the Revolution
Movie · as David 'Dave' Hoyle, aka Agent 'Nine'
Victory
Movie · as Mr. Jones
In Cold Blood
TV · as Agent Alvin Dewey · 2 eps
Australian Story
TV · as Self · 2 eps
In the Mouth of Madness
Movie · as John Trent
Restoration
Movie · as King Charles II
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
Movie · as Self / Alan Grant
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Movie · as Narrator / Host
The Jungle Book
Movie · as Colonel Geofferey Brydon
Sirens
Movie · as Norman Lindsay
Country Life
Movie · as Dr. Max Askey
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Movie · as Self
The Piano
Movie · as Alisdair Stewart
Jurassic Park
Movie · as Grant
Split Enz: Spellbound
Movie · as Narrator
Inside 'The Piano'
Movie · as Self
Family Pictures
TV · as David Eberlin · 2 eps
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Movie · as David Jenkins
Hostage
Movie · as John Rennie
Until the End of the World
Movie · as Eugene Fitzpatrick
Death in Brunswick
Movie · as Carl
One Against the Wind
Movie · as Major James Leggatt, The Guards
Fever
Movie · as Elliot
The Hunt for Red October
Movie · as Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
Cowboys of Culture
Movie · as Self
Shadow of China
Movie · as TV Reporter
The French Revolution
Movie · as Marquis de Lafayette
Dead Calm
Movie · as John Ingram
The Simpsons
TV · as Molloy (voice) · 1 ep
Evil Angels
Movie · as Michael Chamberlain
Question of Faith
Movie · as Oscar Ogg
The Good Wife
Movie · as Neville Gifford
Amerika
TV · as Colonel Andrei Denisov · 7 eps
For Love Alone
Movie · as James Quick
Strong Medicine
Movie · as Vince Lord
Strong Medicine
TV · as Vince Lord · 2 eps
Plenty
Movie · as Lazar
Robbery Under Arms
Movie · as Capt. Starlight
Kane & Abel
TV · as William Lowell Kane · 3 eps
The Blood of Others
Movie · as Bergman
The Country Girls
Movie · as Mr. Gentleman
Reilly: Ace of Spies
TV · as Sidney Reilly · 12 eps
Enigma
Movie · as Dimitri Vasilikov
Attack Force Z
Movie · as Sergeant Costello
Ivanhoe
Movie · as Brian de Bois-Guilbert
The Final Conflict
Movie · as Damien Thorn
Possession
Movie · as Mark
From a Far Country
Movie · as Marian
Lucinda Brayford
TV · as Tony Duff · 4 eps
My Brilliant Career
Movie · as Harry Beecham
Just Out Of Reach
Movie · as Mike
The Journalist
Movie · as Rex
Sleeping Dogs
Movie · as Smith
Surf Sail
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Architect Athfield
Movie · as Narrator
The Governor
TV · as Colonial Bachelor · 1 ep
The Sullivans
TV · as Ben Dawson · 40 eps
Landfall
Movie · as Eric
Ashes
Movie · as Priest
Four Shorts on Architecture
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Hunt's Duffer
Movie · as Bradley
The Water Cycle
Movie · as Hydro enthusiast
The City of No
Movie · as The neighbour
Film '72
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · as British Flier · 1 ep