Sam Neill

Born: 1947-09-14 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK

Died: 2026-07-13

Known For: Acting

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.

Filmography

2027

2026

The Fox as The Magpie (voice)

2025

UNTAMED as Paul Souter
Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke as Self

2024

Apples Never Fall as Stan Delaney
The Assembly as Self
T. REX as Self - Narrator (voice)

2023

The Portable Door as Dennis Tanner
Assassin Club as Caldwell
Scarygirl as Dr. Maybee (voice)
Bring Him to Me as Frank

2018

The Commuter as Captain Hawthorne
Peter Rabbit as Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
Anika Moa Unleashed as Self
Sweet Country as Fred Smith
The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook as Self - Host

2017

Thor: Ragnarok as Actor Odin
Get Krack!n as Self
Tommy's Honour as Alexander Boothby
House of Bond as Roland “Tiny” Rowland
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life as Self

2016

Hunt for the Wilderpeople as Hec
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands as Narrator (voice)
Tutankhamun as Lord Carnarvon
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands as Narrator (voice)

2015

And Then There Were None as General John MacArthur
The Dovekeepers
Backtrack as Duncan Stewart
The Daughter as Walter
MindGamers as Kreutz
House of Hancock as Lang Hancock
Odyssey sur les traces de Sam Neill as God
Why Anzac with Sam Neill as Self

2014

A Long Way Down as Chris Crichton
Old School as Ted McCabe
United Passions as Joao Havelange

2013

Rick and Morty as Monogatron Leader (voice)
Peaky Blinders as C.I. Chester Campbell
Escape Plan as Dr. Kyrie
Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery as Self
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box as Otto Luger
Harry as DSS Jim Stockton
The Ordained as Governor Michael Thomas Riley
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand as Self

2012

Alcatraz as Emerson Hauser
The Vow as Bill Thornton

2011

The Story of Film: An Odyssey as Self
The Hunter as Jack Mindy
Ice as Anthony Kavanagh
Ice as Anthony Kavanagh
The Dragon Pearl as Chris Chase
Return to Jurassic Park as Self

2010

Daybreakers as Charles Bromley
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole as Allomere (voice)
Happy Town as Merritt Grieves
The Making of Daybreakers as Self

2009

Iron Road as Alfred Nichol
Under the Mountain as Mr. Jones
Skin as Abraham Laing
In Her Skin as Mr. Reid
Iron Road as Alfred Nichol
The Man in the Hat as Reader of Correspondence

2008

Crusoe as Jeremiah Blackthorn
Dean Spanley as Dean Spanley
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen as Narrator

2007

The Graham Norton Show as Self
The Tudors as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
The Pixar Story as Alan Grant (archive footage)
Angel as Théo

2006

Merlin's Apprentice as Merlin
Irresistible as Craig
Two Twisted as Mick
Working with a Master: John Carpenter as Self
The Making of 'Event Horizon' as Self
Voyage of the Nautilus as Hubert Wilkins

2005

The Triangle
To the Ends of the Earth as Mr. Prettiman
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant as Governor Arthur Phillip
Little Fish as The Jockey
Yes as Anthony
Gallipoli as Narrator
New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English as Self

2004

Wimbledon as Dennis Bradbury
Jessica
Jessica as Richard Runche
The Brush-Off ... (Producer)
The Making of Sleeping Dogs as Self
Stiff as Lionel Merricks
Colin McCahon: I Am as Narrator

2003

Perfect Strangers as Man

2002

Doctor Zhivago as Victor Ippolitovich Komarovsky
Dirty Deeds as Ray
Framed as Eddie Meyers

2001

Richard & Judy as Self
Space as Himself
The Zookeeper as Ludovic
Submerged as Lt. Cmdr. Charles B. 'Swede' Momsen
The Making Of Jurassic Park III as Self
SuperCroc as narrator
Jurassic Park III as Dr. Alan Grant

2000

Sally Hemings: An American Scandal as Thomas Jefferson
The Magic Pudding as Sam Sawnoff (voice)
The Dish as Cliff Buxton - Dish Master
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal as Thomas Jefferson
Numero Bruno as Self
Inside The Living Daylights as Self (archival footage)
My Mother Frank as Professor Mortlock

1999

Rove as Self
Bicentennial Man as Sir
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien as Prime Minister Gibson

1998

The Horse Whisperer as Robert MacLean
Merlin as Merlin
The Games as Citytrans World CEO
The Revengers' Comedies as Henry Bell

1997

Event Horizon as Weir
Snow White: A Tale of Terror as Lord Friedrich Hoffman
Forgotten Silver as Self
The Rainbow Warrior as Chief Inspector Alan Galbraith

1996

Australian Story as Self
In Cold Blood as Agent Alvin Dewey
Children of the Revolution as David 'Dave' Hoyle, aka Agent 'Nine'
Victory as Mr. Jones

1995

In the Mouth of Madness as John Trent
Restoration as King Charles II
The Making of 'Jurassic Park' as Self / Alan Grant
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill as Narrator / Host

1994

The Jungle Book as Colonel Geofferey Brydon
Sirens as Norman Lindsay
Country Life as Dr. Max Askey
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects as Self

1993

Jurassic Park as Grant
The Piano as Alisdair Stewart
Family Pictures as David Eberlin
Inside 'The Piano' as Self
Split Enz: Spellbound as Narrator

1992

Memoirs of an Invisible Man as David Jenkins
Hostage as John Rennie

1991

Until the End of the World as Eugene Fitzpatrick
Death in Brunswick as Carl
Fever as Elliot
One Against the Wind as Major James Leggatt, The Guards

1990

The Hunt for Red October as Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
Shadow of China as TV Reporter
Cowboys of Culture as Self

1989

The Simpsons as Molloy (voice)
Dead Calm as John Ingram
The French Revolution as Marquis de Lafayette

1988

Evil Angels as Michael Chamberlain
Question of Faith as Oscar Ogg

1987

Amerika as Colonel Andrei Denisov
The Good Wife as Neville Gifford

1986

Strong Medicine as Vince Lord
For Love Alone as James Quick
Strong Medicine as Vince Lord

1985

Kane & Abel as William Lowell Kane
Plenty as Lazar
Robbery Under Arms as Capt. Starlight

1984

The Blood of Others as Bergman

1983

Reilly: Ace of Spies as Sidney Reilly
The Country Girls as Mr. Gentleman

1982

Attack Force Z as Sergeant Costello
Ivanhoe as Brian de Bois-Guilbert
Enigma as Dimitri Vasilikov

1981

Possession as Mark
The Final Conflict as Damien Thorn
From a Far Country as Marian

1980

Lucinda Brayford as Tony Duff

1979

My Brilliant Career as Harry Beecham
The Journalist as Rex
Just Out Of Reach as Mike
On the Road with Red Mole ... (Writer)

1978

Sleeping Dogs as Smith
Surf Sail as Narrator (voice)
New Country - New People ... (Director)

1977

Architect Athfield as Narrator
The Governor as Colonial Bachelor
Flare - A Ski Trip ... (Director)

1976

The Sullivans as Ben Dawson

1975

Ashes as Priest
Landfall as Eric
Four Shorts on Architecture as Narrator (voice)

1974

Phone ... (Writer)

1973

Hunt's Duffer as Bradley
The Sealhunters ... (Editor)

1972

The Water Cycle as Hydro enthusiast

1971

Film '72 as Self
The City of No as The neighbour

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame as British Flier