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‘Even as a child, I recognized his character’
I liked bloody Sam Neill. I first saw him in Reilly: Ace of Spies, and even as a kid, I recognized his brand. To me, he was always the best thing about everything he was. Doing this consistently over many years is successful. You see a flash where it was Sam. He must have taken his job seriously; I have never heard him think of himself. This made him very popular. Shirley, 55, West Yorkshire
‘His closing videos were the happy release we needed’
The lasting memory of Sam Neill was the quality he displayed in closing. Maybe his real one. His funny videos, and his comments at the time, felt like the happy release that many of us needed. The funnest of all was the “teasing” he shared with his screen partner, and best friend, Jeff Goldblum. I was on one of my state-sanctioned walks at the time and passed two famous oak trees leaning against each other. I chose to call them “Sam and Jeff”. I will go there this evening and pay my respects to Sam Neill. A great actor and a wonderful person. Paul, Chesterfield
‘He was so amazing’
It was only after three famous deaths that I felt the need to connect with my parents: Princess Diana, David Bowie and Sam Neill. Sam was amazing in everything he did. When my son was in class, he knew he wanted to be a scientist when he saw it. Jurassic Park for the first time. We watched it together as a family at least 50 times, and I still love the movie to this day. My son did not become an archaeologist, but a scientist. Phil, 53, Wellington
‘Working on Peaky Blinders with Sam Neill was a dream come true’
The first movie I ever saw on the cinema was Jurassic Park, and it changed my life. That’s all I wanted to do from then on: make movies and recreate the way I felt watching them. And I followed this passion for 20 years, studying it at Uni and working many jobs while trying to break into the industry (which led to my first job, at Peaky Blindersworking with Sam Neill for four months).
What Sam didn’t know was that I was obsessed with Jurassic Park when I was 8 years old and I wrote to Steven Spielberg to ask if I could help him with any of his upcoming films. And I actually got a letter back from Amblin Entertainment, which I kept all those years. On the last day of filming, after Sam finished filming, I brought a letter that I had sent to Spielberg 20 years before, and he signed it “Sam Neill was there”, which I think under all this, probably sums up the kind of person he was. We also have a picture, which I don’t do with the cast or crew, but this one felt like I had to – honoring a childhood dream. I could have retired happily then, but 10 years on, I’m still making films. Matt, 40, Manchester
‘Thank you for your support for all New Zealanders – not just an elite few’
Dear Sam, I wasn’t a fan… until a few years ago. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was that you weren’t “stupid” enough for my wishful thinking to be seen as such. Your videos were not what inspired me to be interested in your life and your fame, but your belief in social justice, the world and what is right for the future of our country is very interesting. Thank you so much for your wonderful articles to help all New Zealanders and not just the elite few. Nina*Christchurch, New Zealand
‘He was very good at his job’
I started in the film industry in 1974 and met Sam Neill in 1980 when I was a second assistant on the film Omen III: The Final Conflict – the first film in his best career. He was easy to work with and very good at his job. At that time, we knew that James Mason had power in his work, and sometimes I closed my eyes and felt Mason’s power when Sam spoke. Chris Newman, 71, London
“I enjoy and remember what he did so well”
In the early 1980s, I started dating a girl, which started with going to a movie theater to see an Australian movie called My Brilliant Career. The performances of Sam Neill and Judy Davis in the lead roles were very impressive. It was the easiest thing in the world to suspend disbelief when the film flashed before our eyes on the silver screen as Sam and Judy revived their characters. The girl who accompanied me to the premiere of that movie agreed to propose to me later in 1980, and together we raised four beautiful children. When I heard about the death of Sam Neill, I was immediately brought back 46 years to the unforgettable, fun and exciting memory of his brilliant acting, not only in My Brilliant Career but in many roles in film and television series that I had the opportunity to see, such as Jurassic Park, Reilly, The Huntky Reds October and The Huntky Red. RIP Sam Neill. Anthony Negus, 69, Bedford, Australia
‘An incredible actor and a true gentleman’
I am a musician and about 15 years ago I played at Sam Neill’s birthday party in Wānaka. He was very friendly and welcoming and enjoyed our stay. About a week later, the whole team had a case of Two Paddocks (Sam Neill’s wine) delivered to our door. There were 12 of us in the group. An amazing actor and a true gentleman. Lucien, 45, Wellington
*Name has been changed
