Sam Neill, the beloved actor known for his roles in Jurassic Park, The Piano, and Possession, has been remembered by his co-stars as a generous, funny, and unpretentious man. Lindsay Duncan, Charles Dance, and director Peter Webber shared their memories of Neill, who died recently.
Lindsay Duncan: A Gorgeous Man and Wonderful Actor
Lindsay Duncan, who worked with Neill on Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983) and Blackbird (2019), described him as a "gorgeous man" and a "wonderful actor." She recalled that during the filming of Blackbird, when Neill was undergoing a difficult phase of treatment, the cast decided to cheer him up. Mia Wasikowska commissioned a cake depicting a pig and a sheep in an intimate act, alongside a bottle of Neill's Two Paddocks wine. "We all have tattoos of a little Blackbird, so that will go with him," Duncan said.
Charles Dance: He Wasn't Tarnished by Cardinal Ambition
Charles Dance, who co-starred with Neill in Plenty (1985), To the Ends of the Earth (2005), and And Then There Were None (2015), called Neill "one of the good guys." He noted Neill's lack of ambition for awards, saying, "Sam was always far more interested in the quality of his wine than in any awards for acting." Dance recalled that after filming And Then There Were None, Neill gave the cast bottles of his prized pinot noir. When Neill was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live, Dance sent an email of support, and Neill replied warmly. "With him, what you saw was what you got," Dance said.
Peter Webber: A Bon Viveur with a Wicked Sense of Humour
Director Peter Webber, who worked with Neill on the television series Tutankhamun (2016), praised Neill's lack of ego on set. Despite filming in extreme heat reaching almost 50 degrees Celsius in Vioolsdrift, South Africa, Neill relished the challenge. Webber recalled Neill's fascination with puff adders, whose cytotoxic venom dissolves tissue. "Sam would recount all of this at length, over dinner, with the kind of glee most people reserve for describing a good wine," Webber said.
Neill also played elaborate practical jokes. He convinced a young actor that a scene required her to eat a large mouthful of cake at the top of a take, leading to 20 takes of her forcing spoonfuls into her mouth while the crew struggled not to laugh. "You kept your guard up around him," Webber said. "But it was never cruel. It was generous."
