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‘He made wine and he shared it. What more do you want?’: Sam Neill remembered by his co-stars
The Guardian has gathered tributes to Sam Neill from actors and a director who worked with him, following the news of his death. Lindsay Duncan, Charles Dance and director Peter Webber each recall a warm, unpretentious man whose charm and generosity extended well beyond his acting career, particularly through his New Zealand winery, Two Paddocks.
Duncan, who appeared with Neill in Reilly, Ace of Spies and Blackbird, remembers him as funny, attentive and a good listener who shared his own wine with colleagues; when he was undergoing cancer treatment, his Blackbird co-stars commissioned him a cake as a joke to lift his spirits, and several of them later got matching blackbird tattoos in his honour. Dance, who worked with him on Plenty, To the Ends of the Earth and And Then There Were None, praised his balance and lack of "cardinal ambition", noting he was more proud of his pinot noir than any award, and recalled a warm exchange after Neill's cancer diagnosis. Webber, who directed him in Tutankhamun, began describing what drew him to cast Neill, referencing his performance in the film Possession.
In short
- Guardian collects co-star tributes to actor Sam Neill after his death
- Lindsay Duncan and Charles Dance recall his warmth, humour and generosity
- Colleagues valued his wine-making and unpretentious, grounded character
Explained simply
Sam Neill was a New Zealand actor whose career spanned film and television, including dramas such as Reilly, Ace of Spies and Blackbird. He also ran Two Paddocks, a winery in New Zealand known for its pinot noir.
Actors Lindsay Duncan and Charles Dance, and director Peter Webber, worked with Neill on different productions. Their recollections describe both their professional relationships with him and the friendships formed with colleagues.
Neill’s cancer diagnosis and treatment shaped some of those relationships, including a gesture by his Blackbird co-stars. The tributes also point to his life beyond acting, where making and sharing wine was a source of pride.