Sam Neill
Sir Nigel John Dermot 'Sam' Neill (September 14, 1947 – July 13, 2026) was a New Zealand actor. His career included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an 'international leading man', he is regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
Born in Northern Ireland to an English mother and New Zealand father, Neill moved to Christchurch with his family in 1954. He first achieved recognition with his appearance in the film Sleeping Dogs (1977), which he
Outside of film, Neill appeared in numerous television series in guest and recurring roles, including Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983), The Simpsons (1994), The Tudors (2007), Crusoe (2008–2010), Happy Town (2010), Alcatraz (2012), and Rick and Morty (2019). He also starred as the titular character in Merlin (1998) and Merlin's Apprentice (2006), and as Major Chester Campbell in the first two series of Peaky Blinders (2013–2014). He has presented and narrated several documentaries.
Neill received the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Longford Lyell Award, the New Zealand Film Award, and the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor. He also had three Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy nominations. He won the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor at the 2023 Logies.
Neill passed away at age 78 on 13 July 2026, in Sydney, Australia. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that he remained cancer free.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Neill, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Born
Sep 14, 1947
Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK
Died
Jul 13, 2026
Known For
Acting
Movies
148 acting
19 crew
Popularity
7.8
Known For
Thor: Love and Thunder
2022
as Actor Odin
Thor: Ragnarok
2017
as Actor Odin
Jurassic World Dominion
2022
as Alan Grant
The Commuter
2018
as Captain Hawthorne
Jurassic Park
1993
as Grant
The Hunt for Red October
1990
as Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
Escape Plan
2013
as Dr. Kyrie
Event Horizon
1997
as Weir
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
2010
as Allomere (voice)
Bicentennial Man
1999
as Sir
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