Sam Neill’s final films tell us a lot about who he was as an actor – and why we’ll miss him | Sam Neill

Tshe loved actor Sam Neill, who he died this week the 78-year-old, has returned to the screen several times, impressing us with his presence in three films that say a lot about the kind of actor he was, and the history he made.

They couldn’t be more different: the Australian comedy in which he voices a badger (The Fox); a romcom set in the Philippines (The Last Resort); is the next installment in the blockbuster Hollywood franchise about super mutant monsters (Godzilla x Kong: Supernova).

Their differences speak volumes for Neill’s nature and inability to be pigeonholed. Many actors carve out an image by embracing some kind of shtick or signature: whether they’re vain heroes, romantics, reliable leads or larger-than-life villains.

Neill was both and none of these things, impressively unpacking documents and boxes, and leaving a strong impression that he was open to all kinds of challenges.

This same spirit was also reflected in his life outside of the film industry – including the establishment of the winery, Two Paddocks, and his long career. as an environmentalist campaigning for causes including ocean conservation.

In fact, Neill will be remembered as a great player, bringing depth and strength to many supporting roles. Where do we start?

There is Hector, the uncle of the gangster, Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. There is the charming and polite Harry Beecham, trying to take the protagonist’s hand in marriage. My Smart Work. There’s the “mess with the cows, get the horns” tough cop Chester Camper in Peaky Blinders, who rode in on Cillian Murphy’s gang, Tommy Shelby. There’s his warm, charming portrayal of director Cliff Buxton in The Dish…to name just a few.

But Neill can also provide one hell of a lead, with his ability to infuse leading roles with unexpected flair and bring to mind the old Tinsel Town saying: “An actor in a leading man’s body.”

One of his most interesting roles was in Merlin, a two-part series starring Neill as an Arthurian wizard, which is perhaps not well remembered today but was a huge success when it came out in 1998, costing around US$30m (a lot of money to make TV at the time). Neill was an adulterous witch and sorcerer – no surprise there – although he also brought a surprising amount of weight.

In my opinion, his greatest achievement he was in John Carpenter’s classic Lovecraftian horror film In the Mouth of Madness, playing a cynical insurance investigator whose search for a missing author leads him to a creepy, off-the-map small town, where reality collides with nightmares. Neill begins the film in a straitjacket, shouting “I’m not crazy!” but looking and feeling completely, well, crazywith wild eyes and nervous energy.

Not many actors have been able to turn this kind of drama up to 11, keeping the film grounded in human behavior as the maddening chaos swirls around him (for example, Neill on his balls to the wall, ask amazingly wonderful Being).

A year before the film’s release, Neill played a completely different role, which was seen by everyone who has seen the movie: his role as the ancient scientist, Dr Alan Grant, in Jurassic Park. Grant – who is one of them the most famous moments in the history of blockbuster movies – he is smart and smart and has a little bit of edge to him, grit and drive. He graduated to leading man in Jurassic Park 3, which isn’t great – but Neill has made the transition from a minor role to a major role in the game.

To say that the man was diverse and versatile is an understatement: he had a penchant for packing blockbusters with the chutzpah to go off the rails in nature and the extraordinary. He leaves behind an amazing career. And we will miss him.