Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor who died on Monday at the age of 78, delivered stellar performances for more than four decades. Luke Buckmaster ranked his 20 all-time greatest roles, spanning scientists, farmers, spies, cops, priests, and the devil incarnate.
20. Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)
Neill's performance as Sidney Reilly, a Russian spy working for the British, made viewers think he could have been a great James Bond. He plays a devil with the ladies and looks sharp in a tux. The series is adapted from Robin Bruce Lockhart's 1967 book.
19. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
In John McTiernan's deep-sea blockbuster, Neill held his own against Sean Connery. He played Vasily Borodin, second-in-command to Connery's Capt. Marko Ramius, a Soviet defector. Borodin is pragmatic but embroiled in volatile circumstances.
18. The Tudors (2007-10)
Neill portrayed Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's most trusted adviser, in this racy 16th-century series. He is a cunning powerbroker who enjoys being called 'your eminence' but doesn't survive into the second season.
17. Sweet Country (2017)
In Warwick Thornton's neo-western, Neill played preacher Fred Smith, who joins a sergeant to track down an Aboriginal man accused of murder. The performance is tender yet tough, beautifully balanced.
16. The Dish (2000)
Rob Sitch's historical drama follows the Parkes Observatory helping NASA track Apollo 11. Neill plays Cliff, the mild-mannered but focused director, with an avuncular warmth and a pipe.
15. The Piano (1993)
Initially fair-minded as the new husband of Holly Hunter's mute Ada, Neill's character turns violent in the final act after discovering her affair. The performance is broodingly dark and poetic.
14. Daybreakers (2009)
In the Spierig brothers' vampire film, Neill plays Charles Bromley, CEO of the largest blood supplier. He exudes menacing sophistication, memorably quaffing a glass of red that isn't wine.
13. Death in Brunswick (1990)
Neill plays Carl, a manchild who sleeps late and rarely washes, in this Australian black comedy. After accidentally killing a drug dealer, he sets off a gangland war. Neill makes him blasé and pitiable.
12. The Omen: The Final Conflict (1981)
As adult Damien Thorn, Neill avoids cartoonishness, imbuing the protagonist with a calm, serpentine presence. His smile stretches too wide, and he seems to look through people.
11. My Brilliant Career (1979)
In Gillian Armstrong's adaptation of Miles Franklin's novel, Neill plays Harry Beecham, a swoon-worthy love interest who is twice rejected by the headstrong Sybylla Melvyn (Judy Davis).
10. Merlin (1998)
Neill leads this two-part miniseries as the mythic magician, giving dramatic weight while embracing fairytale elements. The production holds up with an old-timey spirit of adventure.
9. Event Horizon (1997)
In Paul Anderson's gruesome sci-fi, Neill plays Dr. William Weir, the ship's designer who begins in geeky scientist mode and becomes a berserk mad scientist. 'Where we're going, we won't need eyes to see,' he says before opening the gates of hell.
8. Possession (1981)
Andrzej Żuławski's cult classic features Neill's ghoulish performance as Mark, a spy who returns to West Berlin to find his wife wants a divorce, possibly due to a bedroom kink involving a tentacled alien.
7. Rams (2020)
In Jeremy Sims' remake, Neill plays Colin, a hardy sheep farmer who loves his flock but not his crotchety brother. A rare disease infecting their animals may change that.
6. Evil Angels (1988)
Fred Schepisi's drama about the Chamberlain trial features Neill as Michael, a pastor questioning his faith. Opposite Meryl Streep, his performance is hauntingly powerful.
5. Peaky Blinders (2013-22)
Neill's Chief Inspector Maj Campbell brings existential threat to Tommy Shelby's gang. His performance is deliciously entertaining, with chest-thumping dialogue and sizzling chemistry with Cillian Murphy.
4. Jurassic Park (1993)
Neill's paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant gawks at a Brachiosaurus as John Williams' score swells. This moment shows how special effects can evoke wonder. Grant also starred in Jurassic Park 3.
3. Dead Calm (1989)
In Phillip Noyce's thriller, Neill's navy officer John is alone on a sinking ship, needing emotional and physical intensity to survive and return to his wife (Nicole Kidman) on a yacht with a psychotic stranger (Billy Zane).
2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Taika Waititi's comedy pairs on-the-run delinquent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) with Neill's cranky foster uncle Hector. Neill goes whole hog on the grumpy old man shtick, smoking, grunting, and firing off lines like, 'You ever worked on a farm before, are you just ornamental?'
1. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
John Carpenter's Lovecraftian horror features Neill as John Trent, an insurance investigator convinced a mass hysteria event is a PR trick. The hardened cynic becomes a true believer, running with it to hell and back as his sanity erupts.
This article was first published on 5 August 2025. It was updated and republished on 13 July 2026 after Sam Neill's death at the age of 78. It was amended on 13 July 2026. An earlier version said that John 'Williamson' had composed the score to Jurassic Park; it was John Williams.
