Cast & creator
Sam Neill
Best known for The Simpsons, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Rick and Morty
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 followed with leading roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), Omen III: The Final Conflict, Possession (both 1981), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Piano (1993), and In the Mouth of Madness (1994). He came to international prominence as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), reprising the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Dominion (2022). 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.
Also known as: 山姆·尼尔, 萨姆·尼尔, سم نیل, Nigel Neill, 山姆·尼爾
165
film credits
62
television credits
209
1951–2027 · acting roles
6.7
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (227)
Showing 227 of 227 credits
The Simpsons
Molloy (voice)
1989
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Rick and Morty
Monogatron Leader (voice)
2013
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Peaky Blinders
C.I. Chester Campbell
2013Peaky Blinders
Major Chester Campbell
2013
The Sullivans
Ben Dawson
1976
The Tudors
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
2007
Australian Story
Self
1996
Richard & Judy
Self
2001Film '72
Self
1971
Thor: Ragnarok
Actor Odin
2017
Invasion
Jim Bell Tyson
2021
Jurassic World Dominion
Alan Grant
2022
Thor: Love and Thunder
Actor Odin
2022
Jurassic Park
Grant
1993
Escape Plan
Dr. Kyrie
2013
UNTAMED
Paul Souter
2025
Alcatraz
Emerson Hauser
2012
The Movies That Made Us
Self
2019
The Commuter
Captain Hawthorne
2018
The Hunt for Red October
Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
1990
Flack
Duncan Paulson
2019
Rove
Self
1999
Event Horizon
Weir
1997
Peter Rabbit
Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
2018
Bicentennial Man
Sir
1999
And Then There Were None
General John MacArthur
2015
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Sidney Reilly
1983
The Triangle
2005The Triangle
Eric Benerall
2005
Possession
Mark
1981
The Horse Whisperer
Robert MacLean
1998
The Piano
Alisdair Stewart
1993
Merlin
Merlin
1998
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Tommy Brock (voice)
2021
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Allomere (voice)
2010
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Hec
2016
The Twelve
Brett Colby
2022
The Jungle Book
Colonel Geofferey Brydon
1994
Happy Town
Merritt Grieves
2010
The Vow
Bill Thornton
2012
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Self
2011
Daybreakers
Charles Bromley
2010
In the Mouth of Madness
John Trent
1995
Crusoe
Jeremiah Blackthorn
2008
Hallmark Hall of Fame
British Flier
1951
The Assembly
Self
2024
Old School
Ted McCabe
2014
The Final Conflict
Damien Thorn
1981
Kane & Abel
William Lowell Kane
1985
Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery
Self
2013
A Long Way Down
Chris Crichton
2014
Apples Never Fall
Stan Delaney
2024
Blackbird
Tom
2019
The Pixar Story
Alan Grant (archive footage)
2007
To the Ends of the Earth
Mr. Prettiman
2005
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
2027
Doctor Zhivago
Victor Ippolitovich Komarovsky
2002
Amerika
Colonel Andrei Denisov
1987
The Games
Citytrans World CEO
1998
In Cold Blood
Agent Alvin Dewey
1996
Assassin Club
Caldwell
2023
Dead Calm
John Ingram
1989
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
David Jenkins
1992
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
Lord Friedrich Hoffman
1997
Ride Like a Girl
Paddy Payne
2019
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant
Governor Arthur Phillip
2005
The Portable Door
Dennis Tanner
2023
Until the End of the World
Eugene Fitzpatrick
1991
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box
Otto Luger
2013
Bring Him to Me
Frank
2023
Harry
DSS Jim Stockton
2013
Merlin's Apprentice
Merlin
2006
Wimbledon
Dennis Bradbury
2004
Sirens
Norman Lindsay
1994
Architect Athfield
Narrator
1977Architect Athfield
Director
1977
Anika Moa Unleashed
Self
2018
The Dovekeepers
2015
Two Twisted
Mick
2006
Family Pictures
David Eberlin
1993
The Hunter
Jack Mindy
2011
Strong Medicine
Vince Lord
1986
Scarygirl
Dr. Maybee (voice)
2023
The Legend of Zelda
2027
Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal
Frankie Scales (voice)
2021
Restoration
King Charles II
1995
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
Thomas Jefferson
2000
Evil Angels
Michael Chamberlain
1988
Trial In The Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story
Self - Host
2021
Russell Howard Stands Up to the World
Self
2021
Dean Spanley
Dean Spanley
2008
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
Narrator (voice)
2016
Space
Himself
2001
Iron Road
Alfred Nichol
2009
Yes
Anthony
2005
Jessica
2004
Tutankhamun
Lord Carnarvon
2016
Dirty Deeds
Ray
2002
Ice
Anthony Kavanagh
2011
The French Revolution
Marquis de Lafayette
1989
Skin
Abraham Laing
2009
Ice
Anthony Kavanagh
2011
Backtrack
Duncan Stewart
2015
The Fox
The Magpie (voice)
2026
Return to Jurassic Park
Self
2011
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
Self / Alan Grant
1995
Sweet Country
Fred Smith
2018
The Real Hunt for Red October
Self
2021
Angel
Théo
2007
House of Hancock
Lang Hancock
2015
The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook
Self - Host
2018
The Magic Pudding
Sam Sawnoff (voice)
2000
Attack Force Z
Sergeant Costello
1982
MindGamers
Kreutz
2015
Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke
Self
2025
In Her Skin
Mr. Reid
2009
United Passions
Joao Havelange
2014
Ivanhoe
Brian de Bois-Guilbert
1982
Get Krack!n
Self
2017
Rams
Colin
2020
The Blood of Others
Bergman
1984
The Dish
Cliff Buxton - Dish Master
2000
Hostage
John Rennie
1992
Voice Activated
Audiobook Narrator (voice)
2022
Under the Mountain
Mr. Jones
2009
My Brilliant Career
Harry Beecham
1979
Lucinda Brayford
Tony Duff
1980
Irresistible
Craig
2006
Children of the Revolution
David 'Dave' Hoyle, aka Agent 'Nine'
1996
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
Self
2017
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
Narrator
2008
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
1994
The Making Of Jurassic Park III
Self
2001
From a Far Country
Marian
1981
Tommy's Honour
Alexander Boothby
2017
The Dragon Pearl
Chris Chase
2011
The Making of 'Event Horizon'
Self
2006
The Daughter
Walter
2015
Palm Beach
Leo
2019
SuperCroc
narrator
2001
The Revengers' Comedies
Henry Bell
1998
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
Thomas Jefferson
2000
Enigma
Dimitri Vasilikov
1982Mystery Ride
Duncan Connelly
Iron Road
Alfred Nichol
2009
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Prime Minister Gibson
1999The Governor
Colonial Bachelor
1977
The Good Wife
Neville Gifford
1987
Country Life
Dr. Max Askey
1994
Fever
Elliot
1991
Framed
Eddie Meyers
2002
Plenty
Lazar
1985
Inside The Living Daylights
Self (archival footage)
2000
One Against the Wind
Major James Leggatt, The Guards
1991
Jurassic Greatest Moments: Jurassic Park to Jurassic World
Self
2022
Gallipoli
Narrator
2005
Little Fish
The Jockey
2005
Ashes
Priest
1975
Death in Brunswick
Carl
1991
Jessica
Richard Runche
2004
Forgotten Silver
Self
1997
Sea Lions: Life By a Whisker
Narrator (voice)
2020
Numero Bruno
Self
2000
The Show Must Go On
Self
2019
Victory
Mr. Jones
1996
Perfect Strangers
Man
2003
Question of Faith
Oscar Ogg
1988
Submerged
Lt. Cmdr. Charles B. 'Swede' Momsen
2001
The Zookeeper
Ludovic
2001
The City of No
The neighbour
1971
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
Self
2006
The Man in the Hat
Reader of Correspondence
2009
Sleeping Dogs
Smith
1978
The Brush-Off
Producer
2004The Brush-Off
Director
2004
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
Self - Narrator
2020The Making of Sleeping Dogs
Self
2004
The Making of Daybreakers
Self
2010
The Ordained
Governor Michael Thomas Riley
2013
Just Out Of Reach
Mike
1979
House of Bond
Roland “Tiny” Rowland
2017The Last Resort
Gerard
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
Narrator (voice)
2016
Strong Medicine
Vince Lord
1986
Phone
Director
1974Phone
Writer
1974Phone
Editor
1974
The Journalist
Rex
1979
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
Narrator (voice)
2020
Inside 'The Piano'
Self
1993
My Mother Frank
Professor Mortlock
2000
The Rainbow Warrior
Chief Inspector Alan Galbraith
1997
Shadow of China
TV Reporter
1990
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
Self
2013
Colin McCahon: I Am
Narrator
2004
New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English
Self
2005
Flare - A Ski Trip
Director
1977
For Love Alone
James Quick
1986
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Narrator / Host
1995Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Director
1995Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
Writer
1995
Odyssey sur les traces de Sam Neill
God
2015
Why Anzac with Sam Neill
Self
2015Voyage of the Nautilus
Hubert Wilkins
2006
Four Shorts on Architecture
Narrator (voice)
1975Four Shorts on Architecture
Director
1975Four Shorts on Architecture
Writer
1975Four Shorts on Architecture
Editor
1975
The Water Cycle
Hydro enthusiast
1972
On the Road with Red Mole
Director
1979On the Road with Red Mole
Writer
1979
Stiff
Lionel Merricks
2004Stiff
Producer
2004
New Country - New People
Director
1978
T. REX
Self - Narrator (voice)
2024
Robbery Under Arms
Capt. Starlight
1985
Split Enz: Spellbound
Narrator
1993
Hunt's Duffer
Bradley
1973
Jurassic Park III
Dr. Alan Grant
2001
Cowboys of Culture
Self
1990
The Sealhunters
Editor
1973
Surf Sail
Narrator (voice)
1978Surf Sail
Director
1978
Landfall
Eric
1975
The Country Girls
Mr. Gentleman
1983