Known for his suave appearance, New Zealander actor Sam Neill has been very fortunate with his luck in the film industry. The actor has memorable roles in movies like Omen III: The Final Conflict, Jurassic Park and the British drama The Tudors among others and has been honored with the New Zealand Order of Merit. Sam was born on September 14, 1947 as Nigel John Dermot Neill has been on the fringe of celebrity for several years playing several different accommodating roles. The Jurassic Park star that just cannot be defined by a single role is known to reserved and buttoned up nonetheless is an expert entertainer.
Sam’s family used to won the best selling liquor wholesaler company in New Zealand. His Irish Guard father, Dermot Neill was serving in Northern Ireland where Sam was born. In 1954, his family relocated to New Zealand. Growing up, his quiet demeanor was heightened because of a stammer and he found a way to lose it through acting. He studied at the University of Canterbury from where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree. The actor is currently married to Noriko Watanabe with whom he shares a daughter. He is also step-father to Noriko’s daughter from her former marriage. He also has an eldest son from his relationship with Lisa Harrow.
Sam’s career began in 1977 with a lead in the New Zealander movie Sleeping Dogs. He was seen two years later romancing with Judy Davis in My Brilliant Career. Omen III: The Final Conflict, released in 1981, became one of the most popular roles for the actor. He appeared as the male lead in Andrzej Zulawski Possession. His popularity was all an all time high during that time and he was even considered to be the next James Bond succeeding Roger Moore. The role was eventually played by Timothy Dalton. He didn’t fail to impress with Evil Angels in which he portrayed Michael Chamberlain in 1988. He was awarded with AACTA Award for Best Leading Actor for Evil Angels. Dead Calm, La Revolution francaise, The Hunt for Red October and Death in Brunswick followed in the forthcoming years the latter winning him a nomination for the AACTA Award for Best Leading Actor. He was seen as Alisdair Stewart in the romantic drama The Piano in 1993 which received much acclaims from critics and the audience. He played a supporting role in the classic dinosaur saga Jurassic Park and Question of Faith the same year. He reprised the role in the sequel Jurassic Park III in 2000. He appeared in more New Zealand movies like Perfect Strangers and Under the Mountain. He starred in the miniseries Merlin in 1998 which won him nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a Golden Globe Award, and the sequel of 2006, Merlin’s Apprentice. One of the most recognizable roles of his career was seen in The Tudors in 2007 for which he was nominated for Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Monte Carlo Television Festival Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He continued to appear in television with recurring roles in series like Crusoe, Happy Town, Alcatraz and most recently Peaky Blinders. In 2014, he starred in United Passions and A Long Way Down.
Sam is the proud owner of Two Paddocks, a Central Otago, New Zealand based vineyard which was founded by the actor in 1993. Besides the winery, he is also involved with the Australian Speak Easy Association as well as the British Stammering Association.
Award winning actor and vineyard owner, Sam Neill is one of the most renowned aged celebrities of Hollywood. Presently in his late sixties, Sam still retains his handsome looks and classy attire and several more award winning roles can be expected from the talented actor.