Sam Neill

Name: Sam Neill
Date of Birth: September 14, 1947
Place of Birth: Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK

Mini-bio: One of the most famous film personalities to hail from the South Pacific, New Zealand-bred actor Sam Neill possesses the kind of reassuring handsomeness and soft-spoken strength that have made him an ... read moreideal leading man. Born Nigel Neill to a military family in Omagh, Northern Ireland, Neill relocated to New Zealand in 1953 at the age of six. There he picked up the nickname that would become his stage name, and attended both the University of Canterbury and the University of Victoria before beginning his acting career. Neill labored as a director/editor/screenwriter for the New Zealand National Film Unit for several years; he made his first movie in 1975 and scored his first significant film success four years later as the romantic lead opposite Judy Davis in director Gillian Armstrong's My Brilliant Career. Shortly thereafter, Neill was brought to England under the sponsorship of star James Mason (who undoubtedly recognized the marked similarity between his acting style and Neill's). The actor's subsequent movie work included two memorable collaborations with actress Meryl Streep and director Fred Schepisi: Plenty (1985) and A Cry in the Dark (1988). Neill's British TV credits were highlighted by his starring role in the unorthodox espionage drama Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983), for which he won the British television BAFTA Best Actor award. He also began working on American films during the '80s, including the 1981 Omen sequel The Final Conflict (in which he demonstrated a considerable breadth of range as Satan's son Damien) and the 1987 TV miniseries Amerika. Neill also kept busy with projects down under, with perhaps his most memorable film being Dead Calm (1989), a masterfully crafted thriller that starred the actor as Nicole Kidman's husband.Neill truly came to international prominence during the '90s (as evidenced by his guest spot as a cat burglar on an episode of The Simpsons). He experienced a bumper-crop year in 1993, portraying the raptor-fearing Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster Jurassic Park, before returning to New Zealand to portray Holly Hunter's taciturn, unexpectedly violent husband in The Piano (1993). He was also honored with the Order of the British Empire that same year. Neill continued to work on a wealth of diverse international projects throughout the rest of the decade, notably John Duigan's Sirens (1994), which cast him as a '30s bohemian artist; the Australian satire Children of the Revolution (1996), reuniting him with Judy Davis; Revengers' Comedies (1997), which cast him as a suicidal businessman; the acclaimed miniseries Merlin (1998), in which he played the titular wizard; Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer (1998), as the husband of Kristin Scott Thomas (the two had previously co-starred in Revengers' Comedies); and Bicentennial Man (1999), which featured the actor as the head of a family who purchases an uncannily human robot played by Robin Williams.In addition to acting and managing a New Zealand winery, Neill directed an acclaimed 1995 documentary about the New Zealand film industry, Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Sam Neill

"I go by the role pretty much. And I think the only genre I haven't gotten to do but I'd love to is a western, but no one has ever asked me to do that. Unfortunately they are very few and far between these days, but that is one type of film I'd love to do."

- Sam Neill

Sam Neill mini-bio:

Sam went to boarding schools and then attended the universities at Canterbury and Victoria. He 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.

His first feature film was Sleeping Dogs (1977). He then moved to Australia and his performance in My Brilliant Career (1979) was noticed in London by British actor James Mason who lobbied for Neill to get the lead role in The Final Conflict (1981). Because of this, Neill moved to England where he also became famous as the title character in "Reilly: The Ace of Spies" (1983) (mini). After his Great Britain stint, he moved back to Australia in the late 1980s.He now makes films all over the world.

In 1993, he achieved "commercial and critical success" with Jurassic Park (1993) and The Piano (1993). He has a leading role as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the Showtime TV series "The Tudors" season 1.

VITAL STATS

Actor Information:
Birth Name:	Nigel Neill
Eye color:	Blue
Birthplace:	Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Height:	6'0 (183 cm)
Zodiac/Star sign:	Virgo
Nationality:	New Zealander (New Zealand)
Nicknames:	Sam
Education:	High School: Christ College, Christchurch, New Zealand University: BA English, Canterbury University
Family:	Father: Dermot Neill Mother: Priscilla Neill Wife: Noriko Watanabe Ex-wife: Lisa Harrow Son: Tim (son with Harrow) Daughter: Elena (daugher with Noriko) Step Daughter: Maiko (step-daughter from Noriko)
Resides In:	Sam Neil resides in Sydney, Australia and also owns a house in Beverly Hills, California and in New Zeland.
Religious Affiliation:
Political Affiliation:
Personal Interests/Hobbies:	Neill's hobby is running a vineyard, the Two Paddocks winery in Central Otago on New Zealand's South Island. "I’d like the vineyard to support me but I’m afraid it is the other way round. It is not a very economic business" . "It is a ridiculously time and mon"I’d like the vineyard to support me but I’m afraid it is the other way round. It is not a very economic business"
Charities/Causes:	Australian Speak Easy Association British Stammering Association (BSA) Australian Labor Party Greenpeace Jeans for Genes Oxfam World Wildlife Fund
Other (Trivia):	Sam Neill owns a winery called Two Paddocks in the Central Otago region of New Zealand which he started in 1993. He met his present wife, Noriko Watanabe on the set of Dead Calm in 1989. She was a make-up artist at that time. Sam Neill was one of the original candidates to portray James Bond '007 in The Living Daylights (1987) and GoldenEye (1995). He is also one of the three founders of Huntaway Films, along with his good friends John Clarke and Jay Cassells. He was also considered to play the role of "Doc Ock" in Spiderman 2 (2004) but his wife ended up having a role in the movie instead, being the principal make-up and hair stylist for Kristen Dunst. Good friends with musicians Neil Finn, Tim Finn and Jimmy Barnes. Awarded the O.B.E. for Service to Acting (1993). "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). 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 a patron of the National Performance Conference.

Sam Neill's Favorites:

Favorite Music:	The Beach Boys
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Sam Neill's Awards:

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Sam Neill is currently working on:

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Upcoming Films (2009):

Movie Title:	Daybreakers
Directed by	Peter Spierig & Michael Spierig
Release date:	September 11, 2009
Movie Status:	The filming for this movie has already been completed last Sept 2007
Genre:	Action , Horror, Thriller , Drama
Story Plot:	In 2017, a plague transforms the world's population into vampires. With fewer humans to provide blood, the vampires seek to farm the remaining humans and to find a way to continue their existence. A secret team of vampires uncover a way that would rescue the human race
	Sam Neill plays the character role of : Bromley

Movie Title:	In Her Skin (a.k.a. How to Change in 9 Weeks - Working Title)
Directed by	Simone North
Release date:	Sometime 2009
Movie Status:	The filming for this movie has already been completed
Genre:	Drama, Thriller
Story Plot:	The film is based on the true story of an Australian teen who went missing and was later found to have been murdered by her childhood friend. The story will be told from the point of view of the parents and also from point of view of the murderer, who is looking to assume a new identity after her crime.
	Sam Neill plays the character role of: Mr. Reid, Carolines father.

Contact Sam Neill:

All fan mail should be labeled "Fan Mail"
and can be sent to him at the following address:

Mr Sam Neill
Shanahan Management Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 1509
Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Australia

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Last update: Mar 23 2009, 12:30 AM EDT by Gx7 (content history

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Sam Neill Movies

Jurassic Park 3D (PG-13, 2013)
The Hunter (R, 2012)
The Vow (PG-13, 2012)
Telepathy (Unrated, 2011)
The Dragon Pearl (Unrated, 2011)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (PG, 2010)
In Her Skin (R, 2009)
Daybreakers (R, 2009)
Under the Mountain (PG-13, 2009)
Skin (PG-13, 2008)

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Sam Neill Trivia

Who plays Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III? Answer »
what movie did sam neill star in about dinosaurs? Answer »
"Event Horizon" Gary Sinise turned down the role of Dr. Weir, not wanting to do another space movie. Actor who got the part: Sam Neill. Answer »
What is the name of the actor who played Dr. Grant in Jurassic park? Answer »

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