Sam Neill KNZM OBE is a prominent actor from New Zealand, with a remarkable 53-year career spanning leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Recognized as an “international leading man,” he is esteemed as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 76 years
Height- 1.82 m
Weight- 70 kg
Full name-Sir Nigel John Dermot
Born- 14 September 1947
Birthplace- Omagh, United Kingdom
Spouse- Noriko Watanabe (m. 1989–2017)
Profession-New Zealand actor
Nationality-British, New Zealand
Parents
Born on September 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Sam Neill’s parents were Priscilla Beatrice (née Ingham) and Dermot Neill. His father, an army officer, was a second-generation New Zealander, and his mother was English.
Sam Neill’s great-grandfather, Percival “Percy” Neill, relocated from Belfast, Ireland, to Melbourne, Australia, where he became part of a merchant firm.
Relationship
In 1980, during the filming of Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981), Neill crossed paths with actress Lisa Harrow. Later, in 1989, he tied the knot with make-up artist Noriko Watanabe. However, their marriage faced a separation in 2017. By early 2018, Neill was reportedly in a relationship with Australian political journalist Laura Tingle.
Children
With Lisa Harrow, Neill has a son, while with Noriko Watanabe, he has a daughter. Additionally, he adopted Watanabe’s daughter from her previous marriage. In his early twenties, Neill fathered a son who was later placed for adoption. They were reunited in 1994.
Career
In 1971, Sam Neill began his acting career with the New Zealand television film “The City of No.” He continued with projects like the short film “The Water Cycle” (1972) and the television film “Hunt’s Duffer” (1973). Neill also ventured into directing with the film “Telephone Etiquette” (1974) for the New Zealand National Film Unit and appeared in “Landfall” (1975).
His breakthrough came with the New Zealand film “Sleeping Dogs” (1977), the first local film to gain international recognition. Neill then moved to Australia, where he appeared in the TV show “The Sullivans” and starred in “My Brilliant Career” (1979) opposite Judy Davis.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Neill played various roles, including Sidney Reilly in the mini-series “Reilly, Ace of Spies” (1983) and a senior KGB officer in “Amerika” (1987). He gained international acclaim for his performances in films like “Dead Calm” (1989), “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), and “Jurassic Park” (1993). Neill also acted in New Zealand films such as “The Piano” (1993), “Perfect Strangers” (2003), and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (2016).
In addition to acting, Neill directed the documentary “Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill” (1995). He lent his voice to animated films like “The Magic Pudding” (2000) and hosted the BBC documentary series “Space” (2001). Neill portrayed Merlin in the miniseries “Merlin” (1998) and appeared in TV shows like “The Tudors” and “Peaky Blinders.” He reprised his role as Dr. Alan Grant in “Jurassic World Dominion,” released in 2022.
Achievement/ Awards
- In 1991, Neill was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honors for his contributions as an actor.
- In the 2007 New Year Honors, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM).
- In 2009, when knighthoods were reintroduced to the New Zealand royal honours system, Neill chose not to convert his DCNZM into a knighthood, finding the title “Sir” too grand.
- However, in June 2022, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, granting him the title Sir.
- Neill was recognized with an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Canterbury in 2002.
- He received the 2019 Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his distinguished performance career and his leadership and mentoring in the acting industry.
- In 2020, Neill was honored with an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award, an accolade limited to 20 living individuals.
Net Worth 2023
Sam Neill’s net worth is estimated at $18 million.
Sam Neill’s Blood Cancer Battle
Renowned Kiwi actor Sam Neill has given an update on his battle with a rare form of blood cancer. Despite facing non-Hodgkin angio immune blastic T-cell lymphoma, which was diagnosed early last year after he initially thought it was Covid, the 76-year-old star remains resilient. Neill, known for his roles in Jurassic Park, is not allowing the fear of death to dominate his life. In a recent interview with Australian Story, he discussed his cancer journey, detailing the challenging impact of his treatment, which unfortunately prevented him from tending to his Central Otago vineyard, Two Paddocks, as much as he desired.
“I know I’ve got it, but I’m not really interested in it,” he said of his diagnosis.
“It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it.”
Upon finding out that chemotherapy was not effective; Neill’s doctor opted for an anti-cancer drug that successfully placed the star in remission for over a year. However, Neill acknowledges that this drug, given through fortnightly infusions that leave him feeling battered, will eventually lose its effectiveness.
“I’m prepared for that,” Northern-Ireland born Neill told the Australian Story, adding that while he’s not “remotely afraid” of dying, it would be “annoying” because he’s still got things he wants to do. It’s the idea of retiring that’s more terrifying for the busy septuagenarian.
