Sir Nigel John Dermot 'Sam' Neill, KNZM OBE (born 14 September 1947) is an Ireland-born New Zealand actor. His career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
He is perhaps best known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. He has also had a number of high-profile roles including: the lead in Reilly, Ace of Spies, the adult Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict, Merlin in the miniseries Merlin, Captain Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October, Lord Friedrich Hoffman in Snow White: A Tale of Terror, and Alisdair Stewart in The Piano. He also portayed Cardinal Thomas Wolsey on Showtime's The Tudors.
Known For
Thor: Ragnarok
(2017)
Actor Odin
Thor: Love and Thunder
(2022)
Actor Odin
Jurassic World Dominion
(2022)
Alan Grant
Bicentennial Man
(1999)
Sir
Escape Plan
(2013)
Dr. Kyrie
Jurassic Park
(1993)
Grant
Possession
(1981)
Mark
The Hunt for Red October
(1990)
Captain Borodin
Event Horizon
(1997)
Weir
The Commuter
(2018)
Captain Hawthorne
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
(2021)
Tommy Brock (voice)
Assassin Club
(2023)
Caldwell
The Vow
(2012)
Bill Thornton
Peter Rabbit
(2018)
Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
(2010)
Allomere (voice)
Sirens
(1994)
Norman Lindsay
Full Filmography
Acting
The City of No
(1971)
The Water Cycle
(1972)
Hunt's Duffer
(1973)
Bradley
Landfall
(1975)
Eric
Ashes
(1975)
Priest
Four Shorts on Architecture
(1975)
Narrator (voice)
Architect Athfield
(1977)
Narrator
Sleeping Dogs
(1977)
Smith
Surf Sail
(1978)
Narrator (voice)
The Journalist
(1979)
Rex
My Brilliant Career
(1979)
Harry Beecham
Just Out Of Reach
(1979)
Mike
From a Far Country
(1981)
Marian
The Final Conflict
(1981)
Damien Thorn
Possession
(1981)
Mark
Enigma
(1982)
Dimitri Vasilikov
Attack Force Z
(1982)
Sergeant Costello
Ivanhoe
(1982)
Brian de Bois-Guilbert
The Blood of Others
(1984)
Bergman
The Country Girls
(1984)
Mr. Gentleman
Plenty
(1985)
Lazar
Robbery Under Arms
(1985)
Capt. Starlight
For Love Alone
(1986)
James Quick
Strong Medicine
(1986)
Vince Lord
The Good Wife
(1987)
Neville Gifford
Evil Angels
(1988)
Michael Chamberlain
Question of Faith
(1988)
Oscar Ogg
The French Revolution
(1989)
Marquis de Lafayette
Dead Calm
(1989)
John Ingram
The Hunt for Red October
(1990)
Captain Borodin
Shadow of China
(1990)
TV Reporter
Cowboys of Culture
(1990)
Self
Fever
(1991)
Elliot
One Against the Wind
(1991)
Major James Leggatt, The Guards
Until the End of the World
(1991)
Eugene Fitzpatrick
Death in Brunswick
(1991)
Carl
Hostage
(1992)
John Rennie
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
(1992)
David Jenkins
Jurassic Park
(1993)
Grant
Family Pictures
(1993)
David Eberlin
The Rainbow Warrior
(1993)
Chief Inspector Alan Galbraith
Split Enz: Spellbound
(1993)
Narrator
The Piano
(1993)
Alisdair Stewart
Country Life
(1994)
Dr. Max Askey
Sirens
(1994)
Norman Lindsay
The Jungle Book
(1994)
Colonel Geofferey Brydon
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
(1995)
Narrator / Host
Restoration
(1995)
King Charles II
In the Mouth of Madness
(1995)
John Trent
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
(1995)
Self / Alan Grant
Children of the Revolution
(1996)
David 'Dave' Hoyle, aka Agent 'Nine'
Victory
(1996)
Mr. Jones
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
(1997)
Lord Friedrich Hoffman
Event Horizon
(1997)
Weir
The Horse Whisperer
(1998)
Robert MacLean
The Revengers' Comedies
(1998)
Henry Bell
Bicentennial Man
(1999)
Sir
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
(1999)
Prime Minister Gibson
The Magic Pudding
(2000)
Sam Sawnoff (voice)
Forgotten Silver
(2000)
Himself
My Mother Frank
(2000)
Professor Mortlock
Numero Bruno
(2000)
Self
The Dish
(2000)
Cliff Buxton - Dish Master
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal
(2000)
Thomas Jefferson
The Zookeeper
(2001)
Ludovic
Submerged
(2001)
Lt. Cmdr. Charles B. 'Swede' Momsen
SuperCroc
(2001)
narrator
The Making Of 'Jurassic Park III'
(2001)
Self
Jurassic Park III
(2001)
Dr. Alan Grant
Framed
(2002)
Eddie Meyers
Dirty Deeds
(2002)
Ray
Perfect Strangers
(2003)
Man
Stiff
(2004)
Lionel Merricks
Wimbledon
(2004)
Dennis Bradbury
The Making of Sleeping Dogs
(2004)
Self
Jessica
(2004)
Richard Runche
Gallipoli
(2005)
Narrator
Little Fish
(2005)
The Jockey
Yes
(2005)
Anthony
New Zild - The Story of New Zealand English
(2005)
Self
Irresistible
(2006)
Craig
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
(2006)
Self
The Making of 'Event Horizon'
(2006)
Self
Voyage of the Nautilus
(2006)
Hubert Wilkins
The Pixar Story
(2007)
Alan Grant (archive footage)
Angel
(2007)
Théo
Dean Spanley
(2008)
Dean Spanley
Skin
(2008)
Abraham Laing
Iron Road
(2009)
Alfred Nichol
In Her Skin
(2009)
Mr. Reid
Under the Mountain
(2009)
Mr. Jones
The Man in the Hat
(2009)
Reader of Correspondence
Daybreakers
(2010)
Charles Bromley
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
(2010)
Allomere (voice)
The Making of Daybreakers
(2010)
Self
The Hunter
(2011)
Jack Mindy
Return to Jurassic Park
(2011)
Self
The Dragon Pearl
(2011)
Chris Chase
Ice
(2011)
Anthony Kavanagh
The Vow
(2012)
Bill Thornton
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box
(2013)
Otto Luger
Escape Plan
(2013)
Dr. Kyrie
River Deep, Mountain High: James Nesbitt in New Zealand
(2013)
Self
United Passions
(2014)
Joao Havelange
A Long Way Down
(2014)
Chris Crichton
MindGamers
(2015)
Kreutz
The Daughter
(2015)
Walter
Backtrack
(2015)
Duncan Stewart
Why Anzac with Sam Neill
(2015)
Self
New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands
(2016)
Narrator (voice)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
(2016)
Hec Faulkner
David Stratton: A Cinematic Life
(2017)
Self
Tommy's Honour
(2017)
Alexander Boothby
Thor: Ragnarok
(2017)
Actor Odin
The Commuter
(2018)
Captain Hawthorne
Sweet Country
(2018)
Fred Smith
Peter Rabbit
(2018)
Mr. McGregor / Tommy Brock (voice)
Palm Beach
(2019)
Leo
The Show Must Go On
(2019)
Self
Blackbird
(2019)
Tom
Ride Like a Girl
(2019)
Paddy Payne
Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story
(2020)
Narrator (voice)
Sea Lions: Life By a Whisker
(2020)
Narrator (voice)
Rams
(2020)
Colin
Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal
(2021)
Frankie Scales (voice)
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
(2021)
Tommy Brock (voice)
Jurassic World Dominion
(2022)
Alan Grant
Jurassic Greatest Moments: Jurassic Park to Jurassic World
(2022)
Self
Thor: Love and Thunder
(2022)
Actor Odin
Voice Activated
(2022)
Audiobook Narrator (voice)
Scarygirl
(2023)
Dr. Maybee (voice)
Assassin Club
(2023)
Caldwell
The Portable Door
(2023)
Dennis Tanner
Bring Him to Me
(2023)
Frank
Editing
Writing
Phone
(1974)
Writer
Four Shorts on Architecture
(1975)
Writer
On the Road with Red Mole
(1979)
Writer
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
(1995)
Writer
Directing
Phone
(1974)
Director
Four Shorts on Architecture
(1975)
Director
Flare - A Ski Trip
(1977)
Director
Architect Athfield
(1977)
Director
Surf Sail
(1978)
Director
New Country - New People
(1978)
Director
On the Road with Red Mole
(1979)
Director
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill
(1995)
Director
The Brush-Off
(2004)
Director
Production