Sam Neill (born September 14, 1947) is an actor best known for his film and television performances.

He was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, but brought up in New Zealand from the age of seven. After appearing in the popular television series, The Sullivans, he began his film career in the Australian classic, My Brilliant Career (1979), opposite Judy Davis. This appearance led to his being selected to play Damien in The Final Conflict, one of the sequels to The Omen.

He was considered to take over from Roger Moore as James Bond for The Living Daylights, impressing everyone with his screen test, and was the original preferred choice of director John Glen. However, Cubby Broccoli was not impressed by Neill, and the role eventually went to Timothy Dalton instead.

Since then, Neill has played heroes and villains in a succession of television and film dramas and comedies, including:

Television

• Ivanhoe (1982)
• Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983)
• Kane and Abel (1985)
• Merlin (1998)

Films

• Plenty (1985)
• A Cry in the Dark (1988)
• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• The Piano (1993)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Event Horizon (1995)
• The Horse Whisperer (1998)
• The Dish (2000)