Sam Neill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Sam Neill KNZM OBE
Neill in 2022
Born	Nigel John Dermot Neill (1947-09-14) 14 September 1947 (age 77) Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Citizenship	New Zealand United Kingdom Ireland
Education	University of Canterbury Victoria University of Wellington
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Noriko Watanabe ​ ​ (m. 1989; sep. 2017)​
Children	4

Sir Sam Neill is a famous actor from New Zealand. He was born on September 14, 1947. Sam Neill is known for playing many different types of characters in movies and TV shows. He has been a leading actor in both big action films and serious dramas.

He became very well-known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the movie Jurassic Park (1993). He played this character again in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

Sam Neill has also starred in many other popular films like My Brilliant Career (1979), The Piano (1993), and Dead Calm (1989). On TV, he has appeared in shows such as The Tudors (2007) and Peaky Blinders (2013–2014). He even voiced a character in The Simpsons!

He has won several awards for his acting, including the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In 2022, he was made a Knight in New Zealand for his amazing work as an actor.

Early Life

Where was Sam Neill Born?

Sam Neill was born on September 14, 1947, in Omagh, a town in Northern Ireland. His mother was English, and his father was from New Zealand. His father was an army officer.

In 1954, when Sam was seven years old, his family moved to New Zealand. He grew up there and considers New Zealand his home country.

School Days

Sam went to a boys' boarding school in Christchurch, New Zealand. Later, he studied English literature at the University of Canterbury. This is where he first started acting. He then continued his studies at Victoria University of Wellington.

When he was young, Sam had a stutter. This meant he sometimes had trouble speaking smoothly. He said it made him hope people wouldn't talk to him. He mostly grew out of it, but sometimes you can still hear a slight stammer.

He started calling himself "Sam" when he was at school. There were many other boys named Nigel, and he felt the name Nigel was "a little too fancy" for a New Zealand playground.

Acting Career

Starting in New Zealand

Stills from Landfall – A Film About Ourselves (1974)

Sam Neill's first film was a TV movie in New Zealand called The City of No in 1971. He also wrote and directed a short film about telephone manners.

His big break in New Zealand came with the movie Sleeping Dogs (1977). This was the first New Zealand film to be shown widely around the world.

Moving to Australia

After his success in New Zealand, Sam Neill moved to Australia. He got a guest role on a TV show called The Sullivans.

He then starred in the movie My Brilliant Career (1979). This film was a huge international hit and helped him become known outside of New Zealand.

Becoming an International Star

In 1981, Sam Neill got his first major international role. He played Damien Thorn, the son of the devil, in Omen III: The Final Conflict. That same year, he also starred in the unique film Possession.

He was even considered for the role of James Bond at one point! Sam Neill has played many different kinds of characters, from heroes to villains.

Neill at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

Some of his most famous international roles include:

• Playing a spy named Sidney Reilly in the TV series Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983).
• Starring in the thrilling movie Dead Calm (1989).
• His most famous role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993). He returned for Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
• Playing King Charles II in Restoration (1995).
• His role as the wizard Merlin in the miniseries Merlin (1998).
• Starring in the comedy The Dish (2000).
• Playing Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the historical drama The Tudors (2007).
• His role as Major Chester Campbell in the popular series Peaky Blinders (2013–2014).
• Appearing in the New Zealand film Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), directed by Taika Waititi.
• Having a fun cameo in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) as an actor playing Odin.
• Voicing Tommy Brock and playing Mr. McGregor in Peter Rabbit (2018).

Neill at Burghound Asia in Singapore in 2011

In 2022, he appeared in the Australian TV drama The Twelve. He will return for future seasons of this show.

Personal Life

Sam Neill lives in Alexandra, New Zealand. He owns a winery there called Two Paddocks. He enjoys sharing updates about his farm animals, which he names after people he has worked with in the film industry!

In March 2023, Sam Neill shared that he had been diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in 2022. He has been undergoing treatment, and the cancer is now in remission. He will need ongoing treatment for the rest of his life.

During his time away from work for treatment, he wrote a book about his life called Did I Ever Tell You This?. It was published in March 2023.

Awards and Honors

Sam Neill has received many awards and honors for his acting career.

• In 1991, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
• In 2007, he became a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
• In June 2022, he accepted the title of Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This means he is now known as Sir Sam Neill.
• He also has an honorary degree from the University of Canterbury.
• In 2019, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Equity New Zealand for his amazing career and for helping other actors.

Selected Awards and Nominations

Sam Neill has won and been nominated for many awards, including:

• Won AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Evil Angels (1989).
• Won Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor for Jessica (2005).
• Won New Zealand Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2017).
• Won Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor (2023).
• Nominated for three Golden Globe Awards.
• Nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Filmography

Sam Neill has appeared in a huge number of films and television shows. Here are some of his most notable works:

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Games

Books

Sam Neill has also written a book about his life:

Images for kids

• 

  Sam Neill in 2022

• 

  Stills from Landfall – A Film About Ourselves (1974)

• 

  Neill at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

• 

  Neill at Burghound Asia in Singapore in 2011