Sam Neill was born in Northern Ireland, but returned with his family to their native New Zealand in 1954. He first dabbled in acting while taking up English literature at the University of Canterbury; he later graduated from Victoria University in Wellington.
Neill began appearing in several New Zealand productions, as well as several Australian films. He later grew to popularity in the miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies, and in films such as Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October and the 1979 classic My Brilliant Career.
Neill became known to American audiences when he was cast in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park; he reprised his role, Dr. Alan Grant, in the film's second sequel in 2001. He later appeared in several American television series, notably The Tudors and Merlin. He currently stars in the Fox mystery series Alcatraz.
Having come from a family of wine sellers, Neill owns his own vineyard in New Zealand. He has two children: one from previous wife Lisa Harrow, and another from make-up artist and current wife Noriko Watanabe.
- Australian Film Institute Award, Best Actor in a Lead Role, 1989 (for A Cry In The Dark)
- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Best Actor, 2001 (for The Zookeeper)
- Logie Award, Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, 2005 (for Jessica)
FILM:
- Landfall (1975)
- Ashes (1975)
- Sleeping Dogs (1977)
- Just Out of Reach (1979)
- The Journalist (1979)
- My Brilliant Career (1979)
- Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
- Possession (1981)
- From a Far Country (1981)
- Attack Force Z (1982)
- Enigma (1983)
- The Blood of Others (1984)
- Robbery Under Arms (1985)
- Plenty (1985)
- For Love Alone (1986)
- Peter Kenna's The Good Wife (1987)
- A Cry in the Dark (1988)
- Dead Calm (1989)
- La revolution francaise (1989)
- The Hunt for Red October (1990)
- Shadow of China (1990)
- Death on Brunswick (1991)
- Until the End of the World (1991)
- The Rainbow Warrior (1992)
- Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
- Hostage (1992)
- The Piano (1993)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Sirens (1993)
- Country Life (1994)
- The Jungle Book (1994)
- In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
- Restoration (1995)
- Children of the Revolution (1996)
- Victory (1996)
- Event Horizon (1997)
- The Horse Whisperer (1997)
- The Revengers' Comedies (1998)
- Molokai (1999)
- Bicenteenial Man (1999)
- My Mother Frank (2000)
- The Dish (2000)
- The Magic Pudding (voice, 2000)
- Jurassic Park III (2001)
- The Zookeeper (2001)
- Dirty Deeds (2002)
- Leunig: How Democracy Actually Works (voice, 2002)
- Perfect Strangers (2003)
- Yes (2004)
- Wimbledon (2004)
- Little Fish (2005)
- Irresistible (2006)
- Angel (2007)
- Dean Spanley (2008)
- Skin (2008)
- In Her Skin (2009)
- Under the Mountain (2009)
- Daybreakers (2009)
- Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole (voice, 2010)
- The Dragon Pearl (2011)
- The Hunter (2011)
TELEVISION:
- The Tudors (regular, 2007)
- Crusoe (regular, 2008-2009)
- Happy Town (regular, 2010)
- Alcatraz (regular, 2012-present)