“I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out – which wasn’t ideal obviously.”
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Figure timeline
Sam Neill
Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill was a New Zealand actor. Known as a leading man in numerous roles in film and television, he first achieved recognition with his appearance in the film Sleeping Dogs (1977), followed by a leading role in My Brilliant Career (1979).
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entertainment · New Zealand actor (1947–2026) · winegrower · film actor · television actor · film director · director · screenwriter · film producer · actor · writer · editor · also Sam Neill, Neill
Born 14 September 1947 · Died 13 July 2026 · Q214309
56 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 33 entries
“I’m very, very excited that this can happen.”
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The Guardian: Morning Mail: Fake site exposes alleged spy scheme; Sally McManus’s farewell; Sam Neill honoured at Logies
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The Guardian: Logies 2026: Sam Pang wins gold and Sam Neill wins posthumous best actor at Australia’s TV awards
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Public attention spiked: 16,277 Wikipedia readers in one day, 4.3× the usual 3,746, with 7 article edits. Coverage that week: “Morning Mail: Fake site exposes alleged spy scheme; Sally McManus’s farewell; Sam Neill honoured at Logies” (The Guardian).
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The Guardian: Afternoon Update: RBA holds interest rates; captive birds to be vaccinated; and one of Sam Neill’s final interviews
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The Guardian: Sam Neill on making Hunt for the Wilderpeople: ‘We were attacked by a puppet pig!’
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Public attention spiked: 12,900 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.4× the usual 3,746, with 2 article edits. Coverage that week: “Afternoon Update: RBA holds interest rates; captive birds to be vaccinated; and one of Sam Neill’s final interviews” (The Guardian).
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The Guardian: Sam Neill filmed role in Legend of Zelda film adaptation before his death
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Public attention spiked: 28,361 Wikipedia readers in one day, 7.6× the usual 3,746, with 19 article edits. Coverage that week: “Sam Neill filmed role in Legend of Zelda film adaptation before his death” (The Guardian).
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The Guardian: Hunt for the Wilderpeople review – Sam Neill is warm and wise in Taika Waititi’s goofily tremendous film
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Public attention spiked: 14,102 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.8× the usual 3,746, with 5 article edits. Editors noted: Personal life
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Public attention spiked: 13,662 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.6× the usual 3,746, with 8 article edits. Editors noted: Converting sfn to different format to resolve multiple target error
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Public attention spiked: 19,575 Wikipedia readers in one day, 5.2× the usual 3,746, with 13 article edits. Editors noted: Undid 3 revisions from 1365984704 until 1365984978; unsourced, unexplained changes
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The Guardian: Sam Neill fans send sales of his Two Paddocks wine soaring in tribute to late actor
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The Guardian: ‘Some fantastic mischief lurking just around the grin’: Sam Neill by Tara Fitzgerald – a poem
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The Guardian: ‘He annotated my letter from Spielberg’: readers pay tribute to Sam Neill
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The Guardian: ‘Cool, suave and weirdly shy’: Miranda Richardson remembers Sam Neill
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The Guardian: Afternoon Update: Sam Neill’s cause of death announced; first case of bird flu in NZ; and Andy Burnham’s winding path to power
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The Guardian: Sam Neill’s cause of death revealed to be pneumonia
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The Guardian: Gillian Armstrong remembers Sam Neill: ‘I can’t believe that the very next day he was gone’
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The Guardian: Jane Campion remembers Sam Neill: ‘He was radiating peace, beaming love’
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The Guardian: ‘Just a local’: rural New Zealand fondly remembers Sam Neill, its everyday star
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The Guardian: ‘He made wine and he shared it. What more do you want?’: Sam Neill remembered by his co-stars
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The Guardian: Sam Neill’s final films tell us a lot about who he was as an actor – and why we’ll miss him | Luke Buckmaster
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The Guardian: Morning Mail: Trump to reinstate Iran blockade, Hollywood hails Sam Neill, and sextortion on the rise
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The Guardian: A look back at Sam Neill's versatile acting career – video obituary
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The Guardian: I interviewed Sam Neill in 2024. He was even more charming than I’d expected | Zoe Williams
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The Guardian: Sam Neill was a warm, wry and unselfish star who twinkled so others could shine | Peter Bradshaw
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The Guardian: Sam Neill’s final interview: ‘I’d like to think that, in life, I’m a goodie’
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The Guardian: Sam Neill tributes: actors, directors and leaders remember ‘a true gentleman’
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The Guardian: Sam Neill obituary
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Died 2026-07-13.
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2025· 1 entry
New Zealand resources minister Shane Jones called Neill "wrong and anti-Kiwi" for his opposition to an open-cast gold mine proposed near Cromwell
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2022· 2 entries
Awarded Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2022).
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Neill appeared in the Foxtel legal drama The Twelve as Brett Colby
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2020· 1 entry
Received an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award, an honour limited to 20 living recipients at any one time
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2019· 2 entries
Awarded Sitges Grand Honorary Award (2019).
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Was initially cast as Denis Goldberg in Escape from Pretoria, but the role was later recast
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2017· 1 entry
Appeared in Thor: Ragnarok portraying an actor playing Odin
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2016· 2 entries
Neill starred in the New Zealand-made film Hunt for the Wilderpeople and the ITV miniseries Tutankhamun
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Criticised the policies of New South Wales premier Mike Baird on lockout laws and the ban on greyhound racing
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2009· 1 entry
Those with DCNZM or higher honours were given the option of converting them into knighthoods
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2007· 1 entry
Awarded Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2007).
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2002· 2 entries
Awarded honorary degree presented by University of Canterbury (2002).
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Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Canterbury (2002).
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2001· 1 entry
Hosted and narrated the BBC documentary series Space (titled Hyperspace in the United States)
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2000· 1 entry
Voiced Sam Sawnoff in The Magic Pudding
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1993· 1 entry
Neill co-starred with Anne Archer in Question of Faith, an independent drama based on a true story
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1991· 1 entry
Awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1991).
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1989· 1 entry
Awarded AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Evil Angels (1989).
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1981· 1 entry
Neill won his first major international role as Damien Thorn in The Final Conflict
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1980· 1 entry
Neill had a son with the actress Lisa Harrow whom he had met while filming The Final Conflict
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1969· 1 entry
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Ngaio Marsh for the Canterbury University Drama Society
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1954· 1 entry
The Neill family moved to New Zealand and settled in the Christchurch suburb of Cashmere
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1947· 1 entry
Born 1947-09-14.
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