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ITV News Entertainment Reporter Rishi Davda looks back at the life and career of Sam Neill, who has died at the age of 78
Sam Neill has been remembered as “one of the key forces that got Peaky Blinders off to a running start”.
The Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor, best known for his leading role in the blockbuster Jurassic Park franchise and in BBC series Peaky Blinders died aged 78 in Sydney, Australia, on Monday.
Following the announcement of his death, the Peaky Blinders’ official page shared a tribute on social media which read: “We are devastated to hear that Sam Neill has died.
“Sam’s portrayal of Chester Campbell is one for the ages. A villain who is despicable, petty, manipulative, but also charismatic, vulnerable, funny, and supremely entertaining to watch.
“Sam was one of the key forces that got Peaky Blinders off to a running start, for which we will be forever grateful.
“Our love and thoughts are with his family.”
Meanwhile, Richard E Grant, his Palm Beach co-star, wrote on Instagram that Neill was an “officer and a gentleman in the truest sense” who “helped me through a very difficult time in my life”.
A spokesperson for Neill’s family confirmed he died on Monday, surrounded by his family.
Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022, which caused him to take a short break from acting, and he had announced he was cancer-free earlier this year.
Sam Neill and Olivia Colman at the 2014 BAFTA Awards. Credit: AP
A statement from his family on his Instagram said: “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected, but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
“More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
A flood of tributes have poured in for the actor, including from Jurassic Park filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his Peaky Blinders co-star, Cillian Murphy, whom he acted opposite, playing the sadistic, corrupt senior police officer Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons.
Sam Neill visits the Empire State Building in 2024 ahead of Peacock series Apples Never Fall. Credit: AP
Jeff Goldblum also paid tribute to his Jurassic Park co-star, posting a string of photographs from the hit 1993 film, including shots of him, Neill and Laura Dern, who played paleobotanist Ellie Sattler in the film.
He said: “The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever.”
In a statement on his production company Amblin Entertainment’s Instagram page, Jurassic Park director Spielberg said: “Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.
“Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”Cillian Murphy, who played the notorious gang leader Tommy Shelby in the crime drama, also paid tribute to Neill and described him as “one of the finest actors”.He said: “Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors…RIP.”
Joe Cole, Neill’s co-star in Peaky Blinders, posted on Instagram: “Rest in peace big dog.”
Paying tribute, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts.
“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.
“He will be much mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as “one of the greats”, adding: “He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of.
“For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports.”
Australian author and former Wallabies rugby union player Peter FitzSimons said Neill was “a wonderful bloke with an impish sense of humour”.
He added: “Sam never actually became an Australian citizen, but in my view he’d be a great candidate for a State funeral.”Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in the Northern Ireland town of Omagh in 1947. His family moved to New Zealand when he was seven.
During his time at school, the prevalence of other students named Nigel inspired Neill to assume the first name “Sam”.
He went on to study English literature at the University of Canterbury.
His breakthrough came in 1993’s Jurassic Park, a franchise he later returned to in Jurassic Park III and 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion.
Actor Rhys Darby, Sam Neill, Julian Dennison and director Taika Waititi pose at the premiere of “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” in 2016. Credit: AP
Neill earned acclaim for performances in films including The Piano, The Hunt For Red October, and Hunt For The Wilderpeople.
He also found success on television, playing Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders, with further appearances in The Tudors, The Simpsons and Alcatraz.
After a change to New Zealand’s honours system allowed recipients to convert the DCNZM into a knighthood, Neill accepted the equivalent honour with a redesignation ceremony hosted by New Zealand governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro, in October 2022.
He became a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
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