In his more than 50 years on screen, Sam Neill, who died Monday at the age of 78, was a star in both blockbusters and independent films, had memorable roles in several prestige television series and excelled at playing heroes and villains alike. Although the New Zealand actor is best known for his beloved role
In his more than 50 years on screen, Sam Neill, who died Monday at the age of 78, was a star in both blockbusters and independent films, had memorable roles in several prestige television series and excelled at playing heroes and villains alike.
Although the New Zealand actor is best known for his beloved role as Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 dinosaur classic “Jurassic Park” and its sequels “Jurassic Park III” (2001) and “Jurassic World Dominion” (2022), Neill also starred in the horror hit “Possession” (1981), the Oscar-winning romance “The Piano” (1993) by Jane Campion and the fantasy film. the miniseries ‘Merlin’ (1998) and the hit Netflix show ‘Peaky Blinders’ (2013-14).
Take a look at Neill’s career in the photos below.
My Brilliant Career (1979)
Image credit: Analysis Films/courtesy of the Everett Collection
After breaking through in the New Zealand thriller “Sleeping Dogs” in 1977, Neil landed a role in Gillian Armstrong’s acclaimed period drama “My Brilliant Career” opposite Judy Davis. He captured hearts as Harry Beecham, the love interest of Davis’s Sybylla Melvyn.
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
Image credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill’s first major Hollywood production was “Omen III: The Final Conflict,” the latest installment in the supernatural horror franchise. Neill played the lead role of Damien Thorn, the antichrist and son of the devil, alongside Lisa Harrow as his love interest. The two became romantically involved and later had a child together.
Possession (1981)
Image credit: Soma Film/courtesy of the Everett Collection
Neill continued his horror streak with Andrzej Żuławski’s cult classic “Possession,” in which he played an international spy whose wife (Isabelle Adjani) begins exhibiting strange behavior after filing for divorce.
Strike Force Z (1982)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neill starred alongside Mel Gibson in the war film “Attack Force Z,” about the joint Australian, British and New Zealand unit during World War II known as Special Unit Z. Although the film was only released in Australia, both Neill and Gibson would become international stars.
Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)
Image Credit: Everett Collection/Everett Collection
Neill played a James Bond-style role in the British series “Reilly: Ace of Spies,” which dramatized the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian-born man who became one of the most important spies to work for the United Kingdom. For his performance, Neill was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.
A Scream in the Dark (1988)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill starred opposite Meryl Streep in 1988’s “A Cry in the Dark,” a drama based on the real-life story of Michael and Lindy Chamberlain, who fought to prove their innocence after their nine-week-old daughter disappeared. Streep received an Oscar nomination for her performance.
Absolute Calm (1989)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill played the husband of 21-year-old Nicole Kidman in “Dead Calm,” a psychological thriller about a married couple stranded at sea.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Image credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill played Sean Connery’s second-in-command in the underwater spy thriller “The Hunt for Red October.”
The piano (1993)
Image credit: ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection
In Jane Campion’s landmark Oscar favorite “The Piano,” Neill played Alisdair Stewart, the cruel man whom Holly Hunter’s mute Ada is forced to marry. The film became a critical and commercial success, and Campion became the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Image credit: ©MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection
The same year Neill starred in “The Piano,” he also directed Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur blockbuster “Jurassic Park.” In the beloved sci-fi adventure, he plays paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant opposite paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). The film is widely considered one of the best ever made.
In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
Image credit: ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill returned to horror with John Carpenter’s “In the Mouth of Madness,” in which he plays an insurance investigator who begins to lose his sanity after beginning to investigate the disappearance of a horror novelist.
Event Horizon (1997)
Image credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill starred alongside Joely Richardson and Laurence Fishburne in the sci-fi horror film “Event Horizon,” which follows a crew of astronauts in 2047 who are sent on a rescue mission for a missing spaceship.
Merlin (1998)
Image credit: ©Hallmark Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill delved into the fantasy genre to play the lead role in “Merlin,” a miniseries about the mythical wizard that earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Image credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill returned as Dr. Alan Grant in 2001’s “Jurassic Park III,” which centers on the paleontologist after a divorced couple enlists his help to find their son who has gone missing on Isla Sorna.
The Tudors (2007)
Image credit: ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection
Neill played Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a trusted advisor to King Henry VIII, in the first season of the historical drama series “The Tudors.”
Peak Blinders (2013-14)
Image credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
In the Netflix hit, Neill spent two seasons as bad guy Major Chester Campbell, an inspector hired by Winston Churchill to recover lost weapons from the Birmingham small arms factory.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neill made one final appearance as Dr. Alan Grant in 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion.” He returned alongside original stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, who helped new franchise leaders Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard expose a conspiracy by the genomics corporation Biosyn.
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