Award-winning actor Sam Neill was born on September 14, 1947 in Omagh, Northern Ireland. Born to an army family—his father, a New Zealander, was stationed with the Irish Guards at the time of his birth—he moved back to New Zealand in 1954. He took up English literature at the University of Canterbury, where he was first exposed to acting. He eventually transferred to Victoria University in Wellington, where he graduated with a degree in English literature.
Neill began his professional acting career in 1975, initially working as a director and actor at the New Zealand National Film Unit. Mentored by notable actor James Mason, Neill got his first lead role in the political thriller Sleeping Dogs two years later. Since then, he has starred in numerous notable films, both in New Zealand and across the world—the Australian classic My Brilliant Career, Omen III: The Final Conflict, Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, The Piano, Jurassic Park, Sirens, Event Horizon and The Dish. At some points, he was also considered for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights, and as Elrond in the recent adaptations of The Lord of the Rings.
Neill also had several notable roles in television. He became known in the UK in the 1980s, especially with the title role in the 12-part miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies, which aired in 1983. In 1998, he played the title role in the three-hour television movie Merlin, which earned him nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. In 2007, he joined the cast of the historical drama The Tudors, appearing as trusted advisor Cardinal Wolsey in the first season. He has recently signed up for a role in the American drama Crusoe, an adaptation of the books on Robinson Crusoe.