When it comes to some of the most recognisable faces in Australian television, we can’t go past Sam Neill. The New Zealand-based actor has graced our screens for almost 50 years, starring in a range of films and television series that have delighted audiences around the world.
Over the years, Sam has won a heap of awards for his work, including three Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor at the 2023 Logies. Impressive, don’t you think?
Most recently, Sam reflected on his lengthy career — and his battle with a rare form of blood cancer — in his 2023 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?
While he took a break from acting for a few years to undergo chemotherapy, he is now in remission and back in the acting saddle, starring in the third season of the acclaimed drama The Twelve.
So, we thought it would be a treat to take a walk down memory lane and highlight some of our favourite performances by the one and only Sam Neill.
My Brilliant Career, 1979
In 1979, Sam starred in a period drama called My Brilliant Career. The film was based on the 1901 novel by Miles Franklin, which follows a young woman named Sybylla (Judy Davis) who dreams of becoming a writer. Sybylla’s dreams are bigger than the times she lives in, and her family disapproves of her modern career dreams.
Along the way, she falls into a courtship with her childhood friend, Harry Beecham (Sam Neill), and must decide whether she truly wants to follow her writing dreams or marry Harry.
You can watch My Brilliant Career on ABC iView.
Jurassic Park, 1993
Jurassic Park is arguably one of Sam’s biggest roles. He stars as a palaeontologist named Alan Grant who is one member of a talented, top-secret team sent to tour an isolated theme park inhabited by dinosaurs created using prehistoric DNA. However, when they get to the island and experience a power failure, all of the creatures escape, putting everyone’s lives in danger.
Jurassic Park is an all-time classic which also features Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. You can watch it on BINGE.
The Horse Whisperer, 1998
The Horse Whisperer follows a writer named Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas) who brings her daughter Grace (Scarlett Johansson) to a remote ranch owned by a famed horse whisperer named Tom (Robert Redford) after she suffers an almost-fatal horse riding accident. As Grace and her horse Pilgrim slowly overcome their trauma, Annie falls for Tom — but that soon changes when her husband and Grace’s father Robert (Sam Neill) appears on the farm.
Annie must choose where her heart lies: On the farm with Tom or in the city with Robert.
You can watch The Horse Whisperer on Amazon Prime Video.
Peaky Blinders, 2013-2014
In 1919, the Peaky Blinders are the most notorious gang in all of Birmingham. Led by the ruthless Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the gang must outwit a clever inspector named Chester Campbell (Sam Neill), who was sent to Birmingham by Winston Churchill himself to put an end to their ongoing crime spree.
Peaky Blinders is a historical drama that ran for six seasons and received widespread critical acclaim. You can watch it on Netflix.
Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 2016
When Ricky Barker’s (Julian Dennison) foster mum dies, he decides to make his escape into the New Zealand jungle instead of being put back into the foster care system, prompting his foster father, Hec (Sam Neill), to go searching for him. But when Hec hurts his ankle, the pair are forced to camp out in the jungle and unwittingly spark a nationwide manhunt. Along the way, the pair finally get to know each other and form a hilarious and unconventional relationship.
The film is directed by Taika Waititi, and you can stream it on Netflix.
Jurassic World Dominion, 2022
Jurassic World Dominion is set four years after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in a world where prehistoric dinosaurs roam freely with humans. In this instalment of the franchise, original actors Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles as Dr Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcom, respectively, to investigate a potential conspiracy theory involving swams of giant locusts ruining crops around America.
You can watch Jurassic World Dominion on Apple TV+.
The Twelve, 2022
The Twelve is a hit drama that follows the legal process after a woman named Kate Lawson (Kate Mulvany) is accused of murdering her niece, Claire. The series focuses on the perspective of the 12 jurors deciding Kate’s fate and the prejudices they unknowingly bring into the courtroom.
Sam Neill plays Brett Colby GC, a top defence lawyer doing everything he can to keep his client out of prison.
“I’m completely fond of this character – he’s complex, but a lot of fun to play,” Sam told TV WEEK, just ahead of the release of The Twelve season two.
You can watch The Twelve on BINGE.
Apples Never Fall, 2024
Based on the best-selling Liane Moriarty novel, Apples Never Fall is a mystery series about the Delaney family. On the surface, they seem like a successful, picture-perfect family, but when the matriarch of the family, Joy (Annette Bening), goes missing just days after her retirement, her husband, Stan (Sam Neill) becomes the leading suspect. Their four adult children — Troy (Jake Lacy), Logan (Conor Merrigan Turner), Brooke (Essie Randles) and Amy (Alison Brie) — begin to uncover family secrets which the Delaneys thought would remain buried forever.
You can watch Apples Never Fall on Prime Video.
With almost 50 years of acting under his belt, this is only a touch of the good stuff that Sam Neill has acted in and for that, we’re thankful.
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