History of Sam Neill in Timeline

Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill is a highly acclaimed New Zealand actor known for his versatility and international appeal. He has achieved success in both dramatic and blockbuster films, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

September 1947: Sam Neill's Birth

Sam Neill was born in September 1947 to Dermot Neill, a second-generation New Zealander and army officer, and Priscilla Beatrice (née Ingham), who was English.

1954: Education in New Zealand

After moving to New Zealand in 1954, Sam Neill attended Christ's College, an Anglican boys' boarding school. He later pursued English literature at the University of Canterbury and Victoria University, where he graduated with a BA.

1954: Neill Family's Move to New Zealand

In 1954, Sam Neill's family relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand.

1971: Debut in "The City of No"

Sam Neill made his film debut in the 1971 New Zealand television film "The City of No."

1972: Appearance in "The Water Cycle"

Sam Neill appeared in the short film "The Water Cycle" in 1972.

1973: Role in "Hunt's Duffer"

Sam Neill acted in the television film "Hunt's Duffer" in 1973.

1974: Directing and Writing "Telephone Etiquette"

Sam Neill wrote and directed the film "Telephone Etiquette" for the New Zealand National Film Unit in 1974.

1975: Appearance in "Landfall"

Sam Neill appeared in the film "Landfall" in 1975.

1977: Breakthrough with "Sleeping Dogs"

Sam Neill gained recognition for his role in the 1977 film "Sleeping Dogs," which achieved international acclaim.

1979: Roles in Australian Films and Television

Sam Neill appeared in several Australian films, including "The Journalist" and "Just Out of Reach," and television productions like "Young Ramsay" and "Lucinda Brayford" in 1979.

1979: Joined Equity New Zealand

Sam Neill became a member of the Equity New Zealand trade union in 1979.

1979: Move to Australia and Role in "My Brilliant Career"

Sam Neill moved to Australia and landed a leading role in the 1979 film "My Brilliant Career," which achieved international success.

1979: Success of "My Brilliant Career"

Sam Neill starred opposite Judy Davis in the internationally successful film "My Brilliant Career" in 1979.

1980: Met Lisa Harrow

Sam Neill met actress Lisa Harrow, with whom he later had a son, in 1980 while filming "Omen III: The Final Conflict."

1981: Release of "Omen III: The Final Conflict"

"Omen III: The Final Conflict," in which Sam Neill and Lisa Harrow met, was released in 1981.

1981: Role in "Attack Force Z"

Sam Neill appeared in the film "Attack Force Z" in 1981.

1981: International Recognition and Cult Classic Role

Sam Neill landed a major international role as Damien Thorn in "Omen III: The Final Conflict" and starred in the cult film "Possession" in 1981.

1981: International Role and Cult Film Appearance

Sam Neill secured a significant international role in "Omen III: The Final Conflict" and delivered a notable performance in the cult film "Possession" in 1981.

1982: Recognition in Sweden for "Ivanhoe"

Sam Neill gained recognition in Sweden for his role in the 1982 film "Ivanhoe," which became a New Year's Day tradition on SVT.

1983: Golden Globe Nomination for "Reilly, Ace of Spies"

Sam Neill garnered a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Sidney Reilly in the 1983 miniseries "Reilly, Ace of Spies."

1987: Starring Role in "Amerika"

Sam Neill starred as a senior KGB officer in the 1987 American miniseries "Amerika."

1988: Portrayal of Michael Chamberlain in "Evil Angels"

Sam Neill played the role of Michael Chamberlain in the 1988 film "Evil Angels" (also known as "A Cry in the Dark"), based on the Azaria Chamberlain case.

1988: Consideration for James Bond and Role in "Evil Angels"

Sam Neill was considered for the role of James Bond and portrayed Michael Chamberlain in the 1988 film "Evil Angels."

1989: Roles in "Dead Calm" and "La Révolution française"

Sam Neill appeared in the thriller "Dead Calm" and played Marquis de Lafayette in the historical epic "La Révolution française" in 1989.

1989: Marriage to Noriko Watanabe

Sam Neill married makeup artist Noriko Watanabe in 1989. They have a daughter together, and Neill adopted Watanabe's daughter from a previous marriage.

1989: Notable Roles in Thriller and Historical Epic

Sam Neill starred in the thriller "Dead Calm" and portrayed Marquis de Lafayette in the two-part historical epic "La Révolution française" in 1989.

1990: Appearances in "The Hunt for Red October" and "Death in Brunswick"

Sam Neill appeared in the films "The Hunt for Red October" and "Death in Brunswick" in 1990.

1991: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Sam Neill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work as an actor in 1991.

1993: Iconic Role in "Jurassic Park"

Sam Neill achieved international recognition for his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in the blockbuster film "Jurassic Park" in 1993.

1993: Appearance in "The Piano"

Sam Neill had a role in the critically acclaimed New Zealand film "The Piano" in 1993.

1993: Iconic Role in "Jurassic Park" and Performance in "The Piano"

Sam Neill rose to international prominence for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park" and also starred in "The Piano" in 1993.

1993: Starring Role in "Question of Faith"

Sam Neill starred alongside Anne Archer in the independent drama "Question of Faith," based on a true story, in 1993.

1994: Roles in "Sirens" and "The Jungle Book"

Sam Neill appeared in the films "Sirens" and "The Jungle Book" in 1994.

1994: Guest Appearance on "The Simpsons"

Sam Neill made a guest appearance on the animated television series "The Simpsons" in 1994.

1994: Reunion with son

Sam Neill reunited with his son, who was placed for adoption, in 1994.

1995: Co-Directing "Cinema of Unease"

Sam Neill returned to directing in 1995 with the documentary "Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill," co-directed with Judy Rymer.

1995: Role in "In the Mouth of Madness"

Sam Neill starred in John Carpenter's film "In the Mouth of Madness" in 1995.

1997: Appearance in "Event Horizon"

Sam Neill had a role in the science fiction horror film "Event Horizon" in 1997.

1998: Portrayal of Merlin in Miniseries

Sam Neill played the legendary wizard Merlin in the 1998 miniseries "Merlin."

1998: Portrayal of Merlin

Sam Neill portrayed the wizard Merlin in the 1998 miniseries "Merlin" and later reprised the role in the 2006 sequel "Merlin's Apprentice."

1999: Role in "Bicentennial Man"

Sam Neill appeared in the film "Bicentennial Man" in 1999.

2000: Voice Role in "The Magic Pudding"

Sam Neill provided the voice for Sam Sawnoff in the animated film "The Magic Pudding" in 2000.

2000: Role in "The Dish"

Sam Neill starred in the comedy film "The Dish" in 2000.

2001: Hosting and Narrating "Space"

Sam Neill hosted and narrated the BBC documentary series "Space" (titled "Hyperspace" in the United States) in 2001.

2001: Reprising Role in "Jurassic Park III"

Sam Neill reprised his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park III" in 2001.

2002: Received honorary Doctor of Letters degree

The University of Canterbury awarded Sam Neill an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2002.

2003: Role in "Perfect Strangers"

Sam Neill starred in the New Zealand film "Perfect Strangers" in 2003.

2004: Neill Discusses Stuttering

In 2004, Sam Neill opened up about his experiences with stuttering during an interview on the Australian talk show "Enough Rope." He discussed the impact it had on his life and how he eventually mostly outgrew it.

2006: Reprising the Role of Merlin

Sam Neill reprised his role as Merlin in the sequel "Merlin's Apprentice" in 2006.

2007: Role in "The Tudors"

Sam Neill appeared in the television series "The Tudors" in 2007.

2007: Appointed Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Sam Neill was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007.

2008: Starring Role in "Crusoe"

Sam Neill starred in the television series "Crusoe" from 2008 to 2010.

2009: Appearance in "Under the Mountain"

Sam Neill had a role in the New Zealand film "Under the Mountain" in 2009.

2009: Declined Knighthood

When knighthoods were reinstated in New Zealand in 2009, Sam Neill chose not to convert his DCNZM to a knighthood.

2010: Appearance in "Happy Town"

Sam Neill appeared in the television series "Happy Town" in 2010.

2012: Role in "Alcatraz"

Sam Neill played Emerson Hauser in the television series "Alcatraz" in 2012.

2013: Role as Chester Campbell in "Peaky Blinders"

Sam Neill played the character of Chief Inspector Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of the BBC series "Peaky Blinders" from 2013 to 2014.

2014: Appearance in "The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box"

Sam Neill played Otto Luger in the fantasy adventure film "The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box" in 2014.

2015: Role in "And Then There Were None"

Sam Neill portrayed General MacArthur in the 2015 BBC TV miniseries adaptation of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None."

2016: Release of "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" and "Tutankhamun"

In 2016, Sam Neill starred in the New Zealand film "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," directed by Taika Waititi, and also appeared in the ITV miniseries "Tutankhamun."

2016: Role in "Hunt for the Wilderpeople"

Sam Neill starred in the New Zealand film "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" in 2016.

2017: Separation from Noriko Watanabe

Sam Neill and Noriko Watanabe separated in 2017.

2017: Appearance in "Thor: Ragnarok"

Sam Neill made a cameo appearance as an actor playing Odin in Taika Waititi's "Thor: Ragnarok" in 2017.

2018: Relationship with Laura Tingle

As of early 2018, Sam Neill was reportedly dating Australian political journalist Laura Tingle.

2018: Voice role in "Peter Rabbit"

Sam Neill played Mr. McGregor and voiced Tommy Brock in the film "Peter Rabbit" in 2018.

2019: Voice Role in "Rick and Morty"

Sam Neill lent his voice to the animated series "Rick and Morty" in 2019.

2019: Received Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award

Sam Neill received the Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 for his acting career and contributions to the industry.

2019: Casting in "Escape from Pretoria"

Sam Neill was initially cast as Denis Goldberg in "Escape from Pretoria" in 2019, but the role was later recast with Ian Hart.

2020: Received Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award

Sam Neill was awarded the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Award in 2020, a prestigious award limited to 20 living individuals.

March 2022: Cancer diagnosis

Sam Neill was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in March 2022.

June 2022: Knighted in New Zealand

Although initially declining knighthood in 2009, Sam Neill accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2022.

July 2022: Release of "Jurassic World: Dominion"

Sam Neill reprised his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic World: Dominion," which was released in July 2022.

2022: Appearance in "The Twelve"

Sam Neill appeared as Brett Colby in the Foxtel legal drama "The Twelve" in 2022 and was the only original cast member to return for season 2.

2022: Return to "Jurassic Park" Franchise

Sam Neill once again reprised his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic World Dominion" in 2022.

2022: Appearance in "Thor: Love and Thunder"

Sam Neill reprised his role as the actor playing Odin in "Thor: Love and Thunder" in 2022.

March 2023: Announcement of cancer diagnosis and remission

In March 2023, Sam Neill revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in March 2022 after experiencing swollen glands. He announced the cancer was in remission but would require ongoing chemotherapy.