Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill died today at 78.
He was a tremendous actor with many great performances, Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park being the most iconic. And what a role! Grant is icy, aloof, and utterly captivated by the dinosaurs. He’s all business with a heart of gold, taking two kids under his wing.
As a horror fan, I also must salute Neill as an all time scream king. He gave gonzo, all-out turns for In the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon and Possession. He had no protectiveness over his image. He was as happy playing heroes as creeps, weirdos and freaks. Look at the way he practically purrs his lines in Event Horizon (extremely NSFW).
Neill was always good, even in bad movies. There’s a bit in Memoirs of an Invisible Man, a forgotten Chevy Chase movie, where his character’s held at gunpoint by the titular invisible man. Neill does an impressive bit of physical acting to pretend this is happening. You can see it in the trailer.
For me, though, his finest work will always be Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He is luminous as a grieving widower who learns to love again and takes a goofy kid under his wing. According to one Redditor:
I was lucky enough to attend a screening of Hunt for the Wilderpeople with him in attendance at the end of March. He was brought to tears speaking of what that film meant to him.
The man was a true talent. I will miss his posts about sheep.