The actor Sam Neill passed away last week, leaving a legacy of great movies and television for the world to enjoy. He also owned a vineyard, had a great many animals he would name after friends and colleagues in the acting world, and was active in environmental causes. I’ve been a fan for many years, and while I was probably swayed by his good looks and charm as a young person, I have learned to appreciate more and more the conviction of his action, and the versatility of his performances. So, I would like to remember him by mentioning some roles that I find particularly compelling.

Dead Calm (1989).

Sam Neill stars as John Ingram, at sea with his wife (played by Nicole Kidman) trying to recover after the death of their son. They find a drifting ship, and a man (played by Billy Zane) rows a dinghy across to them, asking for help. He says everyone else on the drifting boat died from food poisoning. Ingram is a little suspicious of this, and when the newcomer, Hughie, goes to sleep he rows over to the other ship to investigate. He finds several dead bodies in the hold, who have been murdered. Unfortunately Hughie wakes up before Ingram can return and steals his boat.

I remember seeing this at the cinema when it first came out. It is a very good thriller and all three actors are excellent. I remember thinking how difficult it would be to carry a role when you are the only actor on screen. Neill does a large proportion of his screen time alone, and the character’s struggles with the sinking ship and fear for his wife are clearly depicted. I find Neill riveting in this role.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Neill plays John Trent, an insurance investigator hired to find an author called Sutter Kane who has gone missing. Trent is a sceptical and cynical man who believes that the entire situation is a publicity stunt intended to increase interest in Kane’s upcoming novel ‘In the Mouth of Madness’. As reality falls apart and events more and more resemble the novel, Trent descends into insanity.

Neill is so convincing in this role. His portrayal of a rational man whose mind is torn apart by events that clearly do not make sense is superb. His journey from rational human being to the final moments (Spoiler alert) where he sits in a cinema watching his own story on screen while cackling hysterically, is chilling.

Event Horizon (1997)

Neill plays Dr Weir, designer of the space ship Event Horizon. The story involves the mysterious reappearance of the ship after it disappeared years before. Dr Weir goes with the rescue ship to investigate. It eventuates the ship has been to another dimension and has returned in a changed state.

Neill’s character becomes the human face of the evil the ship has brought back, and excels in what is an increasingly creepy role. Near the end of the movie he tells Captain Miller (an equally excellent performance from Laurence Fishburne) who has just asked him in horror what happened to his eyes, “Where we’re going we won’t need eyes”.  He smiles serenely in spite of his mutilated condition and Neill’s performance carries the horror of the scene brilliantly. ‘Event Horizon’ is an underrated movie and Neill is a strong part of an excellent cast.

The Tudors (2007-2010)

Ok this is a tv show not a movie, but I had to talk about this as it was such a good performance for Neill. “The Tudors” ran for four seasons, and depicted the reign of Henry VIII of England, his various wives and events of the reign.

 If anyone had asked me who I would pick to play Cardinal Wolsey I do not think I would have considered Sam Neill, but he was so ideal in the role. He was able to depict the political acumen and ruthlessness of the character – you could believe that this person, despite his religious status, was motivated by power and prestige. I think Neill was very good at portraying very clever people – he could bring an intellectual focus to such roles that was always convincing.

Daybreakers (2009)

Sam Neill is a head of a corporation in a world run by vampires. His corporation farms humans for blood, and he is happy to exploit them for profit. It’s actually a very small role in this film, but he as always manages to give it the same power he always gives to bad guy roles, the calm of a corporation executive who has no qualms about anything which engenders profit.

Until the End of the World (1991)

Sam Neill plays Eugene, the flim’s narrator, in a story set in the near future where the threat of an out-of-control nuclear satellite overshadows everything. This is really just the background of the story, not the story itself, which involves the woman Eugene loves and the man she’d rather be with, plus a device that records dreams. Eugene is not the main character, but Neill imbues his portrayal with intelligence and heart, grounding the rest of the story in his narrative.

Sam Neill was a talented and experienced actor, who gave many brilliant performances to the world. While many people think of him simply as the guy in ‘Jurassic Park’, he had a long and stellar career with many excellent performances.  We can be cheered by the thought that he has left behind a body of work that will always entertain movie-goers.