Nigel John Dermot “Sam” Neill, DCNZM, OBE (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor who was born in Northern Ireland.
He has had a number of high-profile roles including: the lead in Reilly, Ace of Spies, the adult Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict, Merlin in the miniseries Merlin, the executive officer, Capt 2nd Class Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October, Lord Friedrich Hoffman in Snow White: A Tale of Terror, Alisdair Stewart in The Piano, and paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III.
Most recently he played Cardinal Wolsey in the Peace Arch Entertainment production for Showtime, The Tudors.
After working at the New Zealand National Film Unit as a director and actor, Neill was cast as the lead in the New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs. Following this he appeared in the Australian classic, My Brilliant Career (1979), opposite Judy Davis. This appearance led to his being selected to play Damien Thorn in Omen III: The Final Conflict in 1981, one of the sequels to The Omen. In the late-1970s his mentor was the notable British actor James Mason.
Neill has played heroes and villains in a succession of film and television dramas and comedies. In the UK, he became well-known in the early-1980s, starring in dramas such as Ivanhoe and notably in the title role of Reilly, Ace of Spies. Neill is known for his leading and co-starring roles in major films including Dead Calm (1989), La révolution française (1989) playing the famous Lafayette, The Hunt for Red October (1990), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), The Piano (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), Sirens (1994), Event Horizon (1997), The Dish (2000), and Jurassic Park 3 (2001). The film Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995) was written and directed by Sam Neill and Judy Rymer. In it Neill narrated his personal recollection of New Zealand film history. Neill was asked to play the role of Elrond in The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson, but turned it down because of his contractual obligations to another film, namely, Jurassic Park III (2001). He hosted and narrated a series of documentaries for BBC entitled Space (Hyperspace in the United States) in 2002.
In 2006, Neill also lent his voice to a series of radio ads for Fifth Third Bank in the midwestern U.S.
Neill also appeared in Merlin (1998), a film based on the legend of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake, portraying the legendary wizard. He also reprised his role as Merlin in the film’s not-so-well received sequel, Merlin’s Apprentice (2006), in which Merlin learns he fathered a son with the Lady of the Lake.
He also starred in the historical drama The Tudors, playing Cardinal Wolsey, on the Showtime Network. “I have to say I really enjoyed making The Tudors”, Neill said. “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.”
Also, he stars as Mr Jones in Under The Mountain (2009 film).
Trivia:
One son, Tim Neill (b.1983), with Lisa Harrow, a daughter Elena Neill with Noriko Watanabe, and a step-daughter Maiko.
Met wife Noriko Watanabe on the set of Dead Calm (1989), where she worked as a make-up artist.
He has homes in Beverly Hills, Sydney and New Zealand.
Awarded the O.B.E. for Service to Acting (1993). ["Officers of the Order of the British Empire" a class of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V.]
“Best Actor on British Television” for _”Reilly: The Ace of Spies” (1983)_, Australian Film Institute Award “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” for Evil Angels (aka _Cry in the Dark (1988)_).
His vineyard is in the Gibbston Valley, Otago. His wine is a Pinot Noir called Two Paddocks.
One of the original candidates for the fourth and fifth actor to portray James Bond – 007 in The Living Daylights (1987) and GoldenEye (1995). Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan ended up as James Bond, respectively.
Montana is a recurring element in his films: in The Hunt for Red October (1990) he wants to live in Montana; in The Horse Whisperer (1998) he goes to Montana to find with his wife; in Jurassic Park (1993) he is digging up fossils in Montana.
He is one of the three founders of Huntaway Films, along with his good friends John Clarke and Jay Cassells.
Was considered for the role of the villainous “Doc Ock” in Spider-Man 2 (2004). His wife ended up as the principal make-up & hair stylist for Kirsten Dunst in the movie.
He is a big fan of The Beach Boys.
Moved to New Zealand at age 7.
Good friends with musicians Neil Finn, Tim Finn and Jimmy Barnes.
Born to Dermot Neill, a New Zealand army officer, and his English wife Priscilla.
Studied at the University of Canterbury and at the Victoria University in Wellington, from which he graduated with a BA in English Literature.
Owns a winery, Two Paddocks, in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. It was started in 1993.
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