Sir Nigel John Dermot “Sam” Neill was born on 14 September 1947 and is a New Zealand actor.
Neill’s near-50-year 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.
Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, Neill moved to Christchurch with his family in 1954. He first achieved recognition with his appearance in the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs, which he followed with leading roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), Omen III: The Final Conflict, Possession (both 1981), A Cry in the Dark (1988), Dead Calm (1989), The Hunt For Red October (1990), The Piano (1993) and In the Mouth of Madness (1994).
He came to international prominence as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), a role that he reprises in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Outside of film, Neill has appeared in numerous television series, including Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983), The Simpsons (1994), Merlin (1998), The Tudors (2007), Crusoe (2008–2010), Happy Town (2010), Alcatraz (2012), Peaky Blinders (2013–2014), and Rick and Morty (2019). He has presented and narrated several documentaries. In 2021, he had a one-episode role on the Apple TV+ sci-fi series Invasion.
Neill is the recipient of the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Longford Lyell Award, the New Zealand Film Award, and the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor. He also has three Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Sam Neill cancer: What type of cancer does Sam Neill suffer from?
Neill was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, according to The Guardian. According to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma is “a rare, often but not always, an aggressive (fast-growing) form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma.”