Sam Neill Actor, director, screenwriter, producer, editor Date of Birth: 14.09.1947 Country: Ireland

Biography of Sam Neill

Sam Neill is a versatile actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. He is best known to audiences for his role as scientist Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film "Jurassic Park" (1993). This iconic character brought Neill worldwide recognition and established him as a sought-after actor in the industry.

Early Life and Education
Sam Neill, whose birth name is Nigel John Dermot Neill, was born on September 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. He was born into a military family, with his father Dermot Neill being a New Zealander and his mother Priscilla Beatrice being English. Neill's childhood was spent in Omagh until his family relocated to his father's home country of New Zealand in 1954. He attended an Anglican boys' boarding school called Christ's College in Christchurch, where he started going by the name Sam due to multiple boys named Nigel in the school.

After finishing his education at Christ's College, Sam Neill enrolled at the University of Canterbury, where he studied English literature. He later transferred to Victoria University of Wellington, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature.

Career
Sam Neill's acting career began in 1975 when he appeared in the films "Landfall" and "Ashes." However, these films did not gain much popularity in his homeland or internationally. He later landed his first leading role in the action film "Sleeping Dogs" (1977) playing a character named Smith, who is on the run from authorities for crimes he did not commit.

In 1979, Neill had a successful year with appearances in three Australian films: "Just Out Of Reach," "The Journalist," and "My Brilliant Career." The latter film was particularly successful and received nominations for prestigious awards such as the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design, respectively.

Following these successes, Neill starred in a variety of films, including the French-German horror drama "Possession" (1981) and the biographical film "From a Far Country" (1981) produced by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland. He also appeared in films like "Attack Force Z" (1982), "Ivanhoe" (1982), and "Enigma" (1982).

In 1983, Neill had two significant events in his life. He became a father when his partner Lisa Harrow gave birth to their son, Tom. Additionally, he starred in the British mini-series "Reilly: Ace of Spies" (1983) portraying the role of Sidney Reilly, a spy and adventurer. For his brilliant performance in this series, Neill was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in 1985. He received two more nominations in the same category for the TV film "One Against the Wind" (1991) and the mini-series "Merlin" (1998).

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Neill successfully balanced his work in both films and television. During this period, he appeared in projects such as the mini-series "Cain and Abel" (1985) and films like "A Cry in the Dark" (1988), "Dead Calm" (1989), "The French Revolution" (1989), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "Death in Brunswick" (1990), "Until the End of the World" (1991), "One Against the Wind," "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" (1992), and "The Piano" (1993).

In 1989, Neill ended his relationship with Lisa Harrow, with whom he had been together for 12 years. Later that year, he married makeup artist and actress Noriko Watanabe. They have a daughter named Elena, and Neill is also a stepfather to Noriko's daughter from her previous marriage, Maiko Spencer.

In 1993, Sam Neill achieved another breakthrough in his career when he portrayed Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's film "Jurassic Park." The film, which revolved around the resurrection of dinosaurs in the modern world, became a global sensation. Neill reprised his role in the third installment of the franchise, "Jurassic Park III" (2001). However, this film received mixed reviews and is considered the weakest in the series.

In recent years, Neill has appeared in notable television series such as "The Tudors" (2007), "Crusoe" (2008-2009), "Peaky Blinders" (2013-2014), "The Legacy" (2014), and "And Then There Were None" (2015). He has also appeared in films like "Dean Spanley" (2008), "Skin" (2008), "The Guardians of Luna" (2010), "The Hunter" (2011), "The Vow" (2012), "The Daughter" (2015), and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (2016).

There have been rumors that Sam Neill will appear in the blockbuster film "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017), but it remains to be seen if the rumors are true. Regardless, his fans can look forward to seeing him in the detective thriller "The Passenger" (2018), where he will play one of the lead roles.