Since his New Zealand screen debut in Roger Donaldson's Sleeping Dogs and his breakthrough film role in My Brilliant Career opposite Judy Davis, Sam Neill has appeared in over 80 film and television productions. He has been awarded an Order of the British Empire for Services to Acting and a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.Neill received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his title role in the miniseries Merlin. He also received Golden Globe nominations for his performance opposite Judy Davis in One Against the Wind and for his performance as British spy Sidney Reilly in Reilly: Ace of Spies, for which he also won a BAFTA Best Actor Award. Other credits include Doctor Zhivago, To the Ends of the Earth, The Tudors, Crusoe and Jessica.
Neill is well known for his role in the award-winning film The Piano, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination by the Australian Film Institute, and the blockbuster Jurassic Park. Other film credits include Wimbledon, Dead Calm, The Horse Whisperer, The Dish, Event Horizon, A Cry in the Dark, Death in Brunswick and Evil Angels, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
A student at the University of Canterbury and at Victoria University in Wellington, Neill received a degree in English literature. He gained early experience with New Zealand Players and other theater companies. He also worked with the New Zealand National Film Unit as a film director, editor and scriptwriter. He Neill lives in New Zealand -- producing outstanding Pinot Noir at his vineyard, Two Paddocks, and working as an active proponent for the environment.
