Sam Neill was born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to army parents, an
English-born mother, Priscilla Beatrice (Ingham), and a New
Zealand-born father, Dermot Neill. His family moved to the South
Island of New Zealand in 1954. He went to boarding schools and then
attended the universities at Canterbury and Victoria. The 6-foot tall star has a BA in
English Literature. Following his graduation, he worked with the New
Zealand Players and other theater groups. He also was a film director,
editor and scriptwriter for the New Zealand National Film Unit for 6
years.
Sam Neill is internationally recognised for his contribution to film and television. He is well known for his roles in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) and Jane Campion's Academy Award Winning film Das Piano (1993). Other film roles include Die Wildente (2015), Backtrack (2015) opposite Adrien Brody, MindGamers (2015), United Passions (2014), A Long Way Down (2014), Escape Plan (2013), The Hunter (2011) with Willem Dafoe, Daybreakers (2009), Die Legende der Wächter (2010), Little Fish (2005) opposite Cate Blanchett, Skin - Schrei nach Gerechtigkeit (2008), Dean Spanley (2008), Wimbledon - Spiel, Satz und... Liebe (2004), Yes (2004), Perfect Strangers (2003), Dirty Deeds (2002), The Zookeeper (2001), Der 200 Jahre Mann (1999) opposite Robin Williams, Der Pferdeflüsterer (1998) alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Schlafende Hunde (1977), and Meine brillante Karriere (1979).
He received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the NBC miniseries Merlin (1998). He also received a Golden Globe nomination for Allein gegen den Wind (1991), and for Reilly - Spion der Spione (1983). The British Academy of Film and Television honoured Sam's work in Reilly by naming him Best Actor. Sam received an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in Jessica (2004).
Other television includes House of Hancock (2015), Rake (2010), Doktor Schiwago (2002), To the Ends of the Earth (2005), Die Tudors (2007) with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Crusoe (2008), Alcatraz (2012) and recently in Old School (2014) opposite Bryan Brown, Peaky Blinders - Gangs of Birmingham (2013) alongside Cillian Murphy and The Dovekeepers (2015) for CBS Studios.
