Sam Neill's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Tudors Cardinal Th… Alcatraz Emerson Hau… Crusoe Jeremiah Bl… Happy Town Merritt Gri… The Triangle Eric Benerall Merlin (1998) (UK) Merlin Merlin's Apprentice (UK) Merlin Kane & Abel William Low… Mary Bryant (AU) Governor Ar… Amerika Colonel And… Space (UK) Himself - P… Young Ramsay (AU) Crossland

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole 2009 - Under the Mountain 2009 - Daybreakers 2008 - Dean Spanley 2006 - Irresistible 2005 - Little Fish 2004 - Wimbledon 2002 - Dirty Deeds 2001 - Jurassic Park III 2000 - The Dish 1999 - Bicentennial Man 1998 - The Horse Whisperer 1997 - Event Horizon 1995 - Restoration 1994 - In the Mouth of Madness 1994 - The Jungle Book 1993 - Jurassic Park 1993 - The Piano 1992 - Memoirs of an Invisible Man 1991 - Until the End of the World 1990 - The Hunt for Red October 1989 - Dead Calm 1989 - La Révolution française 1985 - Plenty 1983 - Enigma 1982 - Attack Force Z 1981 - Possession 1979 - My Brilliant Career

BIOGRAPHY:

Born in Northern Ireland to army parents, his family returned to the South Island of New Zealand in 1954. He 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 (I) 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: Ace of Spies" (1983). 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).


TRIVIA:

• Owns a winery, Two Paddocks, in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. It was started in 1993.
• He is a big fan of 'The Beach Boys' (qv).
• One son, 'Tim Neill' (qv) (b.1983), with 'Lisa Harrow' (qv), a daughter 'Elena Neill' (qv) with 'Noriko Watanabe (I)' (qv), and a step-daughter Maiko.
• Born to Dermot Neill, a New Zealand army officer, and his English wife Priscilla.
• He is one of the three founders of Huntaway Films, along with his good friends 'John Clarke (II)' (qv) and 'Jay Cassells' (qv).
• Met wife 'Noriko Watanabe (I)' (qv) on the set of _Dead Calm (1989)_ (qv), where she worked as a make-up artist.
• Montana is a recurring element in his films: in _The Hunt for Red October (1990)_ (qv) he wants to live in Montana; in _The Horse Whisperer (1998)_ (qv) he goes to Montana to find with his wife; in _Jurassic Park (1993)_ (qv) he is digging up fossils in Montana.
• "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)_).