‘A true gentleman’: actors, directors and leaders pay tribute to Sam Neill | Sam Neill
Friends, peers and fans of Sam Neill flocked to remember the actor following his sudden death aged 78 on Monday.
Australian director Phillip Noyce, who directed Neill opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, told the Guardian: “Sam was perhaps the most gentlemanly actor I have ever encountered. In the world of show business with crazy egos, he was level-headed and sincere. His word was his contract.”
“Oddly enough, Sam was responsible for my long career in Hollywood. When rumors arose that George Miller might have secretly directed Dead Calm, Sam assured American producer Mace Neufeld that I was indeed the director, and Mace later signed me to direct Harrison Ford in Patriot Games,” added Noyce.
Actor Magda Szubanski, Neill’s friend after whom he once named one of his ducks, said she was “absolutely shocked” by his death.
“When I spoke to him recently he said he was cancer free and really happy and excited about life, so this is devastating,” she said. “She was just a one-off. What a talented, stylish, beautiful, sarcastic, warm-hearted person she was.”
Actor David Wenham said that Neill, “as well as being an international all-round legend”, was “the kindest, sassiest, most generous and supportive friend walking around”.
New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon said Neill was one of the best.
“It started at a time when there wasn’t even a film industry to speak of in this country,” Luxon said in a social media post. “For more than 50 years he brought New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped shape our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports. His work will be watched and loved long after all of us.”
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the actor, writing of
Novelist Kathy Lette said Neill’s unexpected death was heartbreaking: “Sam was not only a wonderful actor, he was also a most charming, kind, intelligent and delightfully self-deprecating friend. His wry, dry humor and mischievous twinkle brightened our lives.”
Fijian-New Zealand director Toa Fraser, whose film Dean Spanley starred Neill as the title character, said: “Sam defended me and so many of us from the very beginning. He changed my life by his example and his actions… One of my great regrets was when he came onto Dean Spanley’s set (more than once) and said, ‘Do you want to come to dinner?’ I refused. I had homework to do.”
“Well, tonight I’ll toast him a glass of Hungarian Tokay, and I’ll probably bring him and his mentor James Mason a glass of Pinot from the Burgundian tradition, too.”
New Zealand filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley remembered Neill as “a great person who fought until the end”. [land]for the screen.”
“Ngā mihi [thank you] Sam, for everything you gave to the film industry, you will be missed. Your fight to save Whenua [land] extraction and exploitation will continue…. What a great time you had shaping the industry we love, thank you.”
New Zealand actor Joel Tobeck, who starred with Neill in the 2003 film Perfect Strangers, wrote on Instagram: “This man made me feel like I could fly. He made things happen everywhere, even in his presence. We love talking rugby. Shout out to my old friend. Sam Neill, a true gentleman.”
Outside of his acting work, Neill was a passionate environmentalist who campaigned for a variety of causes, including marine conservation and against mining proposals in New Zealand. After his death, New Zealand’s conservation department called Neill a “legendary Kiwi” and a “fierce and passionate advocate for our environment”.
“Whether it was advocating for our native species, supporting local conservation projects, or simply sharing his deep love for our unique landscapes, Sam kept talking. He understood that our nature is not just something to look at, it is something we must cherish and protect. His warmth, intelligence, and unwavering voice for the wild will be deeply missed.”
