Sam Neill, who died on Monday at the age of 78, starred in both blockbusters and independent films, had memorable roles in several high-end television series, and was adept at playing both heroes and villains during a screen career spanning more than 50 years.
New Zealand actor Neil is best known as Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 dinosaur classic Jurassic Park and its sequels Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), but he also appeared in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning romance and horror hit Possession (1981). “The Piano” (1993), fantasy miniseries “Merlin” (1998) and Netflix hit show “Peaky Blinders” (2013-14).
Take a look back at Neil’s career in the photos below.
My glorious career (1979)
Image credit: Analysis Films/Courtesy of Everett Collection
After his breakout role in the 1977 New Zealand thriller Sleeping Dogs, Neil landed a role opposite Judy Davis in Gillian Armstrong’s acclaimed historical drama My Brilliant Career. He captivated hearts as Harry Beecham, lover of Davies’ Sybilla Melvin.
The Omen III: The Final Clash (1981)
Image credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil’s first major Hollywood production was The Omen III: Final Conflict, the final installment of the supernatural horror series. Neil played Damian Thorne, the Antichrist and the son of the devil, and co-starred with Lisa Harrow as his love interest. The two separated and became romantically involved and later had a son.
Possession (1981)
Image credit: Soma Film/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil continued his work in horror with Andrzej Szuławski’s cult classic Possession, in which he played an international spy who begins to act strangely after his wife (Isabelle Adjani) demands a divorce.
Attack Force Z (1982)
Image credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil co-starred with Mel Gibson in Attack Force Z, a war film about the combined Australian, British and New Zealand forces during World War II known as Special Forces Z. Although the film was only released in Australia, Neil and Gibson later became international stars.
Riley: Ace of Spies (1983)
Image credit: Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Neil played a James Bond-like role in the British series Riley: Ace of Spies, which dramatized the life of Russian-born Sidney Riley, who became one of the greatest spies to ever work for Britain. For his performance, Neal was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.
Cry in the Dark (1988)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neil co-starred with Meryl Streep in 1988’s “A Cry in the Dark.” The drama is based on the true story of Michael and Lindy Chamberlain, who struggled to prove their innocence after their 9-week-old daughter disappeared. Streep was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.
Dead Calm (1989)
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neil played the husband of 21-year-old Nicole Kidman in Dead Calm, a psychological thriller about a couple stranded at sea.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Image credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neil played Sean Connery’s second-in-command in the submarine spy thriller The Hunt for Red October.
The Piano (1993)
Image credit: ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection
In Jane Campion’s landmark Oscar-winning film, The Piano, Neil played Alisdair Stewart, the cruel man to whom Holly Hunter’s mute Ada is forced to marry. The film was a critical and commercial hit, and Campion became the first woman to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Image credit: ©MCA/Courtesy of Everett Collection
That same year, Neil starred in The Piano and also starred in Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park. In the popular sci-fi adventure, he plays paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant alongside paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern. This movie is highly regarded as one of the best movies of all time.
In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
Image credit: ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil returned to the horror world in John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, playing an insurance investigator who begins to go insane when he begins investigating the disappearance of a horror novelist.
Event Horizon (1997)
Image credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neil co-starred with Joely Richardson and Laurence Fishburne in the sci-fi horror film “Event Horizon,” which depicts the lives of astronauts sent on a mission to rescue a missing spaceship in 2047.
Merlin (1998)
Image credit: ©Hallmark Entertainment/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil stepped into the fantasy genre to play the title role in the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated miniseries “Merlin,” about a mythical wizard.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Image credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Neil also returned as Dr. Alan Grant in 2001’s Jurassic Park III. The film centers on a paleontologist after a divorced couple asks for his help in finding their missing son on Isla Sorna.
The Tudors (2007)
Image credit: ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil played Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a trusted advisor to Henry VIII, in season 1 of the historical drama series The Tudors.
Peaky Blinders (2013-14)
Image credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy of Everett Collection
In the Netflix hit, Neal played the villainous Major Chester Campbell, an inspector hired by Winston Churchill to retrieve a gun missing from the Birmingham Small Arms Factory, for two seasons.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Image credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Neil made his last appearance as Dr. Alan Grant in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion. He returned alongside original stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum to help new series leads Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard uncover a conspiracy by the genomics company Biosyn.
