Sam Neill

Sam Neill
Birth	09/14/47
Role	Alan Grant
Credits	Jurassic Park Jurassic Park III Jurassic World: Dominion

Sam Neill is the actor who played Dr. Alan Grant.

Based on New Zealand, Northern Irish-born Sam Neill is recognized internationally for his work in film and television. His highly eclectic feature film credits include Bicentennial Man with Robin Williams and Embeth Davidtz, Children of the Revolution with Judy Davis, and Restoration Alongside Robert Downey Jr., Meg Ryan and Hugh Grant. He had previously starred opposite Grant as controversial Australian artist Norman Lindsey in John Duigan's Sirens. Neill's profile skyrocketed in 1993 with his roles in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park and Jane Campions' The Piano. The Piano won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Australian Film Institute (A.F.I.) prize as Best Picture. Neill was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1993. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for Service to Acting in 1991 and a Distinguished Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, as well as an A.F.I. nomination.

His film credits also include The Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery, Dead Calm opposite Nicole Kidman, and My Brilliant Career with Judy Davis. He starred in opposite Meryl Streep in two films for director Fred Schepisi, A Cry in the Dark and Plenty. He collected the A.F.I. Awards as best Actor for Plenty.

More Recently, Neill appeared in My Mother Frank, earning another A.F.I. nomination. He lent vocal talents to the animation feature, The Majic Pudding, and also recently starred in The Hunter, The Zookeeper, and The Dish.

Neill has been honored with Golden Globe nominations for his work on television twice, and received both Golden Globes and Emmy Nominations for his performance as the title character in the 1998 miniseries Merlin. He portrayed Thomas Jefferson in the miniseries Sally Hemings: An American Scandal, and also starred in Reilly: Ace of Spies, Kane and Abel, Amerika and One Against the Wind.

When not before the cameras, Neill works as a vinter in Otago, New Zealand, producing a Pinot Noir called Two Paddocks.

Jurassic Park franchise

Jurassic Park

Sam Neill's autograph in the Jurassic Park III Prop Set.

Sam Neill played the character of Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 movie Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg had first offered the role to Harrison Ford, who had portrayed the similar character Indiana Jones, but Ford had refused.

Because this film had popularised dinosaurs the surnames of its main actors were used to make the species name of the Tianchisaurus genus. The species name has become nedegoapeferima, in which the part ne are the first two letters of Neill.

Jurassic Park III

In 2001 Sam Neill again played Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park III. In the Jurassic Park III Prop Set a picture of Dr. Grant appears with a blue signature of Sam Neill himself.

Jurassic World

Sam Neill as raptor

On an MTV interview with him on 2011, he was asked if he would appear in a new Jurassic Park. He said that because Stan Winston died a new Jurassic Park couldn't be made. But he said that if Michael Crichton time travels to now and write a new book, he would appear in the new Jurassic Park. During the interview he did a funny Velociraptor impression.

External links

• Sam Neill on Wikipedia
• Sam Neill at the Internet Movie Database