# Sam Neill has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2026, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635 "2026-07-13T06:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/21 "2026-07-13T12:42:38Z")
Very sad news. Of his many roles, I’m (surprisingly?) enamored of his in the mini-series _Merlin_ (1998). He did remarkably well playing Merlin at different ages, though he was around 50 himself at the time. I believe it is available on Prime currently and I know that every young person I’ve shared it with has also really enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/22 "2026-07-13T13:45:48Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I’m not exactly recommending _Possession_, but I do think I have to rewatch it. He was terrific in one of his younger roles. I had always immediately thought of Jurassic Park when I thought of Sam Neil. Then I saw Possession and it immediately became the Sam Neil movie I think of first. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/23 "2026-07-13T13:46:31Z")
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is another great movie from him. Very fun and funny. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/24 "2026-07-13T14:25:36Z")
Sam was very good in Jurassic Park. I’m not too familar with his other movies. I may not have recognized him in more recent roles. Jurassic Park was almost 40 years ago. R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/25 "2026-07-13T14:40:48Z")
Damn! I was going to post that I hoped he got to Montana and married that fat American woman. But I should’ve known that in the SDMB that post would be posted very soon and not wasted my time _working_ before posting it. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/26 "2026-07-13T14:51:20Z")
RIP to an amazing actor, what a brilliant career. I’m another fan of _In The Mouth Of Madness_. Two other credits that first came to mind were his roles in _The Hunter_ and _Untamed_. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/27 "2026-07-13T14:56:07Z")
My wife was just complaining to me that all the news mention _Jurassic Park_ when they should’ve talking about _In the Mouth of Madness_ ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/28 "2026-07-13T14:57:03Z")
That was one of the most unnerving, weird things I’ve ever seen. Those particular scenes, a small part of an otherwise Ingmar Bergman-esque film, will never be forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/29 "2026-07-13T14:58:29Z")
Oh, I just LOVE ‘Merlin’. I thought he was spectacular in it. And what a cast, in addition to Sam. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/30 "2026-07-13T15:04:11Z")
You have excellent taste, **salinqmind1**! When I learned of his death, I told my wife, “Got to watch Sam Neill tonight. _Merlin_, it is.” Never had to think about it at all. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/31 "2026-07-13T15:21:54Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Anyone who likes Sam, hell even anyone who doesn’t know his work, should watch _The Dish._ A charming little film about how a small town in Australia played an important role in the 1969 moon landing. Loved this! Also recommended by me. Very sad. I still remember the huge crush I had on him when I first saw _My Brilliant Career._ Also, he was excellent in that PBS (?) series _Reilly: Ace of Spies._ That cemented my crush. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/32 "2026-07-13T15:28:10Z")
Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Isabella Rossellini, Miranda Richardson, and Martin Short. I just LOVE that kind of stuff…IMDB says he was offered the part of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings Movies because he was so impressive as Merlin, but he was involved with Jurassic Park… ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/33 "2026-07-13T16:05:46Z")
While I mourn Neill’s death, one good thing about this thread is the movie suggestions – some of them I haven’t seen, but now I will! I mentioned _Dead Calm_ earlier, and I do highly recommend it. Very well done and dramatic, and unusual because except for a few brief scenes, it focuses pretty much entirely on just three characters – Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman as a couple out on the ocean on their sailboat, and Billy Zane (who played the villain in _Titanic_) as a sailor they rescue from a derelict ship who turns out to be a deranged lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/34 "2026-07-13T16:13:52Z")
I hate this news so much 😞 His involvement elevated every project he worked on. It feels like he’d been around forever, yet he didn’t appear to age until recent years. I guess that’s why I never contemplated a motion picture industry without him. Rest in peace, mate. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/35 "2026-07-13T17:45:11Z")
Allow me to suggest _Children of the Revolution_. Stellar cast, underappreciated gem. Thanks for everything, Sam. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/36 "2026-07-13T18:06:37Z")
I re-watch _In the Mouth of Madness_ and _Event Horizon_ at least once per year. RIP ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/37 "2026-07-13T18:27:30Z")
He was quite good as the worse guy in _Peaky Blinders._ He was really good as a complete bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/38 "2026-07-13T21:05:46Z")
Sam Neill was one of those actors who was absolutely credible and convincing, both as a villain and as a decent, sympathetic hero. He was very scary in _Event Horizon_, too. Condolences to his family, friends, and many fans. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/39 "2026-07-13T21:26:39Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > My wife was just complaining to me that all the news mention _Jurassic Park_ when they should’ve talking about _In the Mouth of Madness_ And we share similarity in women with exceptional taste. 😉 I mentioned my love of ItMoM upthread, and while not quite as freqent as Kron, I do probably watch it every other year or so, along with Event Horizon. I added _Dead Calm_ to my list of “huh, is this on any of my streaming options without a fee?” search with a hit from the Roku Channel. Win! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635/40 "2026-07-13T21:53:05Z")
He had a small cameo in the great mockumentary _Forgotten Silver._ I think I’ll go and watch _Event Horizon_ tonight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sam-neill-has-died/1031635.md?page=3)