Name
Sam Neill
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1947-09-14
Deathday
2026-07-13 (79 years old)
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.
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Known For
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- 2001 Jurassic Park III as Dr. Alan Grant
- 1998 The Horse Whisperer as Robert MacLean
- 1998 The Revengers' Comedies as Henry Bell
- 1993 The Piano as Alisdair Stewart
- 1990 The Hunt for Red October as Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
- 1999 Bicentennial Man as Sir
- 1991 Until the End of the World as Eugene Fitzpatrick
- 1995 In the Mouth of Madness as John Trent
- 1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man as David Jenkins
- 2023 Assassin Club as Caldwell
- 1994 The Jungle Book as Colonel Geofferey Brydon
- 1981 The Final Conflict as Damien Thorn
- 1989 The French Revolution as Marquis de Lafayette
- 1989 Dead Calm as John Ingram
- 1982 Enigma as Dimitri Vasilikov
- 1984 The Blood of Others as Bergman
- 2000 The Dish as Cliff Buxton - Dish Master
- 1981 Possession as Mark
- 2011 Ice as Anthony Kavanagh
- 2002 Dirty Deeds as Ray
- 2007 Angel as Théo
- 2004 Wimbledon as Dennis Bradbury
- 1997 Event Horizon as Weir
- 2005 Yes as Anthony
- 1997 Forgotten Silver as Self
- 1997 Snow White: A Tale of Terror as Lord Friedrich Hoffman
- 2000 The Magic Pudding as Sam Sawnoff (voice)
- 2009 Under the Mountain as Mr. Jones
- 1996 Children of the Revolution as David 'Dave' Hoyle, aka Agent 'Nine'
- 1994 Sirens as Norman Lindsay
- 2005 Little Fish as The Jockey
- 1988 Evil Angels as Michael Chamberlain
- 1995 Restoration as King Charles II
- 1985 Plenty as Lazar
- 2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole as Allomere (voice)
- 2003 Perfect Strangers as Man
- 2002 Framed as Eddie Meyers
- 2009 Skin as Abraham Laing
- 1982 Attack Force Z as Sergeant Costello
- 1978 Sleeping Dogs as Smith
- 1991 Death in Brunswick as Carl
- 1991 One Against the Wind as Major James Leggatt, The Guards
- 1996 Victory as Mr. Jones
- 1979 My Brilliant Career as Harry Beecham
- 2009 In Her Skin as Mr. Reid
- 1982 Ivanhoe as Brian de Bois-Guilbert
- 2005 Gallipoli as Narrator
- 2008 Dean Spanley as Dean Spanley
- 2006 Irresistible as Craig
- 2010 Daybreakers as Charles Bromley
- 2023 Bring Him to Me as Frank
- 2011 The Hunter as Jack Mindy
- 2012 The Vow as Bill Thornton
- 1985 Robbery Under Arms as Capt. Starlight
- 1995 The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Self / Alan Grant
- 1973 Hunt's Duffer as Bradley
- 1971 The City of No as The neighbour
- 1987 The Good Wife as Neville Gifford
- 2013 Escape Plan as Dr. Kyrie
- 2014 A Long Way Down as Chris Crichton
- 1994 Country Life as Dr. Max Askey
- 2000 Numero Bruno as Self
- 2009 Iron Road as Alfred Nichol
- 1981 From a Far Country as Marian
- 2004 Stiff as Lionel Merricks
- 2004 The Making of Sleeping Dogs as Self
- 2000 My Mother Frank as Professor Mortlock
- 2001 Submerged as Lt. Cmdr. Charles B. 'Swede' Momsen
- 2000 Sally Hemings: An American Scandal as Thomas Jefferson
- 2001 The Zookeeper as Ludovic
- 2013 The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box as Otto Luger
- 2022 Voice Activated as Audiobook Narrator (voice)
- 2007 The Pixar Story as Alan Grant (archive footage)
- 2022 Jurassic Greatest Moments: Jurassic Park to Jurassic World as Self
- 1990 Cowboys of Culture as Self
- 2001 The Making Of Jurassic Park III as Self
- 1986 For Love Alone as James Quick
- 2022 Thor: Love and Thunder as Actor Odin
- 2014 United Passions as Joao Havelange
- 1990 Shadow of China as TV Reporter
- 1997 The Rainbow Warrior as Chief Inspector Alan Galbraith
- 2023 Scarygirl as Dr. Maybee (voice)
- 1991 Fever as Elliot
- 1992 Hostage as John Rennie
- 2006 Voyage of the Nautilus as Hubert Wilkins
- 2015 Backtrack as Duncan Stewart
- 2015 The Daughter as Walter
- 2015 Why Anzac with Sam Neill as Self
- 2018 Peter Rabbit as Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
- 2021 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway as Tommy Brock (voice)
- 2015 MindGamers as Kreutz
- 1993 Jurassic Park as Grant
- 2004 Jessica as Richard Runche
- 2009 The Man in the Hat as Reader of Correspondence
- 2013 The Ordained as Governor Michael Thomas Riley
- 2016 Hunt for the Wilderpeople as Hec
- 1979 Just Out Of Reach as Mike
- 1979 The Journalist as Rex
- 2017 Tommy's Honour as Alexander Boothby
- 1986 Strong Medicine as Vince Lord
- 2016 New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands as Narrator (voice)
- 2018 The Commuter as Captain Hawthorne
- 2001 SuperCroc as narrator
- 2024 T. REX as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2000 Inside The Living Daylights as Self (archival footage)
- 2017 Thor: Ragnarok as Actor Odin
- 2017 David Stratton: A Cinematic Life as Self
- 2006 The Making of 'Event Horizon' as Self
- 2018 Sweet Country as Fred Smith
- 2006 Working with a Master: John Carpenter as Self
- 2019 Ride Like a Girl as Paddy Payne
- 1999 Molokai: The Story of Father Damien as Prime Minister Gibson
- 1983 The Country Girls as Mr. Gentleman
- Soon Mystery Ride as Duncan Connelly
- 2005 New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English as Self
- 2019 Blackbird as Tom
- 2010 The Making of Daybreakers as Self
- 2011 Return to Jurassic Park as Self
- 2019 The Show Must Go On as Self
- 2020 Rams as Colin
- 2019 Palm Beach as Leo
- 2022 Jurassic World Dominion as Alan Grant
- 1975 Landfall as Eric
- 2020 Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story as Narrator (voice)
- 2020 Sea Lions: Life By a Whisker as Narrator (voice)
- 1993 Split Enz: Spellbound as Narrator
- 2013 River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand as Self
- 1977 Architect Athfield as Narrator
- 1988 Question of Faith as Oscar Ogg
- 2021 Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal as Frankie Scales (voice)
- 1995 Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill as Narrator / Host
- 1972 The Water Cycle as Hydro enthusiast
- 1975 Ashes as Priest
- 1978 Surf Sail as Narrator (voice)
- 1975 Four Shorts on Architecture as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 The Dragon Pearl as Chris Chase
- 2023 The Portable Door as Dennis Tanner
- 2004 Colin McCahon: I Am as Narrator
- 1994 Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects as Self
- 1993 Inside 'The Piano' as Self
- 2008 Verity Lambert: Drama Queen as Narrator
- 2027 Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
- Soon The Last Resort as Gerard
- 2025 Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke as Self
- 2026 The Fox as The Magpie (voice)
- 2015 Odyssey sur les traces de Sam Neill as God
- 2027 The Legend of Zelda
- 1989 The Simpsons ( 1 episode ) as Molloy (voice)
- 1998 The Games ( 1 episode ) as Citytrans World CEO
- 2007 The Graham Norton Show ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2007 The Tudors ( 10 episodes ) as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
- 2001 Richard & Judy ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2017 Get Krack!n ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1951 Hallmark Hall of Fame ( 1 episode ) as British Flier
- 2005 The Triangle ( 1 episode )
- 1987 Amerika ( 7 episodes ) as Colonel Andrei Denisov
- 2002 Doctor Zhivago ( 3 episodes ) as Victor Ippolitovich Komarovsky
- 2013 Harry ( 6 episodes ) as DSS Jim Stockton
- 2010 Happy Town ( 8 episodes ) as Merritt Grieves
- 2006 Merlin's Apprentice ( 2 episodes ) as Merlin
- 2001 Space ( 6 episodes ) as Himself
- 2005 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant ( 2 episodes ) as Governor Arthur Phillip
- 2004 Jessica ( 3 episodes )
- 2013 Rick and Morty ( 1 episode ) as Monogatron Leader (voice)
- 1996 In Cold Blood ( 2 episodes ) as Agent Alvin Dewey
- 2012 Alcatraz ( 13 episodes ) as Emerson Hauser
- 2019 The Movies That Made Us ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2005 To the Ends of the Earth ( 3 episodes ) as Mr. Prettiman
- 1998 Merlin ( 2 episodes ) as Merlin
- 2013 Peaky Blinders ( 6 episodes ) as C.I. Chester Campbell
- 2008 Crusoe ( 13 episodes ) as Jeremiah Blackthorn
- 2014 Old School ( 8 episodes ) as Ted McCabe
- 2011 The Story of Film: An Odyssey ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1996 Australian Story ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2015 And Then There Were None ( 3 episodes ) as General John MacArthur
- 2011 Ice ( 2 episodes ) as Anthony Kavanagh
- 2021 Invasion ( 1 episode ) as Jim Bell Tyson
- 2021 Trial In The Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story ( 3 episodes ) as Self - Host
- 1999 Rove ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2015 House of Hancock ( 2 episodes ) as Lang Hancock
- 2016 New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands ( 3 episodes ) as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 Tutankhamun ( 4 episodes ) as Lord Carnarvon
- 2017 House of Bond ( 2 episodes ) as Roland “Tiny” Rowland
- 1977 The Governor ( 1 episode ) as Colonial Bachelor
- 1983 Reilly: Ace of Spies ( 12 episodes ) as Sidney Reilly
- 2005 The Triangle ( 3 episodes ) as Eric Benerall
- 2022 The Twelve ( 26 episodes ) as Brett Colby
- 2021 The Real Hunt for Red October ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 2021 Russell Howard Stands Up to the World ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2015 The Dovekeepers ( 2 episodes )
- 2013 Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2019 Flack ( 2 episodes ) as Duncan Paulson
- 2013 Peaky Blinders ( 6 episodes ) as Major Chester Campbell
- 1976 The Sullivans ( 40 episodes ) as Ben Dawson
- 2018 Anika Moa Unleashed ( 13 episodes ) as Self
- 2009 Iron Road ( 2 episodes ) as Alfred Nichol
- 2018 The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook ( 6 episodes ) as Self - Host
- 2019 The Kelly Clarkson Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2025 UNTAMED ( 6 episodes ) as Paul Souter
- 2024 Apples Never Fall ( 7 episodes ) as Stan Delaney
- 1980 Lucinda Brayford ( 4 episodes ) as Tony Duff
- 1986 Strong Medicine ( 2 episodes ) as Vince Lord
- 2000 Sally Hemings: An American Scandal ( 2 episodes ) as Thomas Jefferson
- 2024 The Assembly ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2020 Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story ( 3 episodes ) as Self - Narrator
- 1993 Family Pictures ( 2 episodes ) as David Eberlin
- 1985 Kane & Abel ( 3 episodes ) as William Lowell Kane
- 1971 Film '72 ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2006 Two Twisted ( 1 episode ) as Mick
