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IMDbPro

Sam Neill(I)

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000597
Sam Neill
Take a closer look at the various roles Sam Neill has played throughout his acting career.
Play clip1:25
Sam Neill: Movie Moments
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Sam Neill was born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to army parents, an English-born mother, Priscilla Beatrice (Ingham), and a New Zealand-born father, Dermot Neill. His family moved to the South Island of New Zealand in 1954. He went to boarding schools and then attended the universities at Canterbury and Victoria. The 6-foot tall star has a BA in English Literature. Following his graduation, he worked with the New Zealand Players and other theater groups. He also was a film director, editor and scriptwriter for the New Zealand National Film Unit for 6 years.

Sam Neill is internationally recognised for his contribution to film and television. He is well known for his roles in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) and Jane Campion's Academy Award Winning film The Piano (1993). Other film roles include The Daughter (2015), Backtrack (2015) opposite Adrien Brody, MindGamers (2015), United Passions (2014), A Long Way Down (2014), Escape Plan (2013), The Hunter (2011) with Willem Dafoe, Daybreakers (2009), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010), Little Fish (2005) opposite Cate Blanchett, Skin (2008), Dean Spanley (2008), Wimbledon (2004), Yes (2004), Perfect Strangers (2003), Dirty Deeds (2002), The Zookeeper (2001), Bicentennial Man (1999) opposite Robin Williams, The Horse Whisperer (1998) alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Sleeping Dogs (1977), and My Brilliant Career (1979).

He received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the NBC miniseries Merlin (1998). He also received a Golden Globe nomination for One Against the Wind (1991), and for Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983). The British Academy of Film and Television honoured Sam's work in Reilly by naming him Best Actor. Sam received an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in Jessica (2004).

Other television includes House of Hancock (2015), Rake (2010), Doctor Zhivago (2002), To the Ends of the Earth (2005), The Tudors (2007) with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Crusoe (2008), Alcatraz (2012) and recently in Old School (2014) opposite Bryan Brown, Peaky Blinders (2013) alongside Cillian Murphy and The Dovekeepers (2015) for CBS Studios.
BornSeptember 14, 1947
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BornSeptember 14, 1947
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000597
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 14 wins & 34 nominations total

    Photos438

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    Known for

    Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Ariana Richards, BD Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck in Jurassic Park (1993)
    Jurassic Park
    8.2
    • Grant
    • 1993
    Sam Neill and Julian Dennison in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
    Hunt for the Wilderpeople
    7.8
    • Hec
    • 2016
    Chevy Chase and Daryl Hannah in Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
    Memoirs of an Invisible Man
    6.0
    • David Jenkins
    • 1992
    Jurassic Park III (2001)
    Jurassic Park III
    5.9
    • Dr. Alan Grant
    • 2001

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Untamed
      • Paul Souter
      • Post-production
      • TV Mini Series
      • 2025
    • The Twelve
      • Brett Colby QC
      • Released
      • TV Mini Series
      • 2025
    • Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
      • In Production
      • 2027
    • Freedom Flight
      • Istvan Kolta
      • In Development



    • Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor in The Twelve (2022)
      The Twelve
      6.9
      TV Mini Series
      • Brett Colby QC
      • 2022–2024
    • Sam Neill, Annette Bening, Alison Brie, Jake Lacy, Conor Merrigan Turner, and Essie Randles in Apples Never Fall (2024)
      Apples Never Fall
      6.7
      TV Mini Series
      • Stan Delaney
      • 2024
    • Sam Neill, Barry Pepper, Rachel Griffiths, Zac Garred, Liam McIntyre, and Jamie Costa in Bring Him to Me (2023)
      Bring Him to Me
      5.3
      • Frank
      • 2023
    • Scarygirl (2023)
      Scarygirl
      5.2
      • Dr. Maybee (voice)
      • 2023
    • Sam Neill, Christoph Waltz, Sophie Wilde, Patrick Gibson, and Jessica De Gouw in The Portable Door (2023)
      The Portable Door
      6.1
      • Dennis Tanner
      • 2023
    • Noomi Rapace and Henry Golding in Assassin Club (2023)
      Assassin Club
      4.7
      • Caldwell
      • 2023
    • Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
      Thor: Love and Thunder
      6.1
      • Actor Odin
      • 2022
    • Voice Activated (2022)
      Voice Activated
      8.0
      Short
      • Audiobook Narrator (voice)
      • 2022
    • Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, DeWanda Wise, and Isabella Sermon in Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
      Jurassic World: Dominion
      5.6
      • Alan Grant
      • 2022
    • Jurassic World Evolution 2 (2021)
      Jurassic World Evolution 2
      7.5
      Video Game
      • Dr. Alan Grant (voice)
      • 2021
    • Invasion (2021)
      Invasion
      6.2
      TV Series
      • Jim Bell Tyson
      • 2021
    • Rainn Wilson in Dark Air with Terry Carnation (2021)
      Dark Air with Terry Carnation
      8.4
      Podcast Series
      • Australian Caller (voice)
      • 2021
    • James Corden in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
      Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
      6.2
      • Tommy Brock (voice)
      • 2021
    • Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal (2020)
      Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal
      5.3
      • Frankie Scales (voice)
      • 2020
    • Sam Neill and Michael Caton in Rams (2020)
      Rams
      6.4
      • Colin
      • 2020

    Producer



    • Sam Neill and Frances O'Connor in The Twelve (2022)
      The Twelve
      6.9
      TV Mini Series
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Cinema Quarantino: Das Fone Hell (2020)
      Cinema Quarantino: Das Fone Hell
      7.1
      Video
      • producer
      • 2020
    • Cinema Quarantino: Das Underachiever (2020)
      Cinema Quarantino: Das Underachiever
      7.4
      Video
      • producer
      • 2020
    • Cinema Quarantino: Das Bogroll (2020)
      Cinema Quarantino: Das Bogroll
      7.1
      Video
      • producer
      • 2020
    • Cinema Quarentine: Das Leek (2020)
      Cinema Quarentine: Das Leek
      7.5
      Video
      • producer
      • 2020
    • The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill (2018)
      The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill
      7.9
      TV Mini Series
      • executive producer
      • 2018
    • Sam Neill in Why Anzac with Sam Neill (2015)
      Why Anzac with Sam Neill
      8.5
      • executive producer
      • 2015
    • The Brush-Off (2004)
      The Brush-Off
      6.9
      TV Movie
      • producer
      • 2004
    • Stiff (2004)
      Stiff
      6.6
      TV Movie
      • producer
      • 2004

    Director



    • The Brush-Off (2004)
      The Brush-Off
      6.9
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2004
    • Nihon eiga no hyaku nen (1995)
      Century of Cinema
      7.5
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1995
    • On the Road with Red Mole
      6.1
      • Director
      • 1979
    • Surf Sail (1978)
      Surf Sail
      7.0
      Short
      • Director
      • 1978
    • New Country: New People
      Short
      • Director
      • 1978
    • Architect Athfield
      7.1
      • Director
      • 1977
    • Flare: A Ski Trip (1977)
      Flare: A Ski Trip
      6.2
      Short
      • Director
      • 1977
    • Four Shorts on Architecture
      6.9
      Short
      • Director
      • 1975
    • Telephone Etiquette
      7.1
      Short
      • Director
      • 1974

    Videos151

    5 Takeaways from TIFF 2019
    Clip 4:06
    5 Takeaways from TIFF 2019
    Susan Sarandon Made Her 'Blackbird' Director and Castmates Get Tattooed
    Clip 1:39
    Susan Sarandon Made Her 'Blackbird' Director and Castmates Get Tattooed
    Susan Sarandon Made Her 'Blackbird' Director and Castmates Get Tattooed
    Clip 1:39
    Susan Sarandon Made Her 'Blackbird' Director and Castmates Get Tattooed
    Why 'Blackbird' Is a Film About Death That Is Really About Life
    Clip 11:19
    Why 'Blackbird' Is a Film About Death That Is Really About Life
    Bryce Dallas Howard Won't Say If Sam Neill Is in 'Jurassic World 3'
    Clip 1:12
    Bryce Dallas Howard Won't Say If Sam Neill Is in 'Jurassic World 3'
    Sam Neill: Movie Moments
    Clip 1:25
    Sam Neill: Movie Moments
    The Daughter
    Clip 0:36
    The Daughter

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Instagram
      • Sam Neill's Vineyard's Facebook Page
    • Alternative name
      • John Dermot
    • Height
      • 5′ 11¾″ (1.82 m)
    • Born
      • September 14, 1947
      • Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK
    • Spouses
        Noriko WatanabeSeptember 2, 1989 - 2015 (divorced, 1 child)
    • Children
        Tim Neill
    • Parents
        Priscilla Beatrice Neill (Ingham)
    • Other works
      "On the Beach", by Nevil Shute. (1981) Audiocassette version read by Sam Neill. Published by Listen for Pleasure, Ontario Canada.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Print Biography
      • 4 Interviews
      • 2 Articles
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Owns a winery, Two Paddocks, in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. It was started in 1993.
    • Quotes
      "Of all the characters I've played, I think I have more in common with that guy than with Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983) referring to Carl Fitzgerald in Death in Brunswick (1990). Who Weekly (NZ) 8/23/93.

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