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Sam Neill: His best-known roles in pictures

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Neill starred in the original Jurassic Park film alongside Laura Dern and Richard AttenboroughPublished3 hours agoActor Sam Neill, who has died at the age of 78, was bes...

Sam Neill in Jurassic Park with his hand on co-star Richard Attenborough's arm as Laura Dern looks on and smilesImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Neill starred in the original Jurassic Park film alongside Laura Dern and Richard Attenborough

Actor Sam Neill, who has died at the age of 78, was best known for starring in the Jurassic Park movies - which were the tip of the iceberg of a long and varied career that ranged from Hollywood blockbusters to acclaimed arthouse films.

Sam Neill in The Omen holding a crucifixImage source, Moviestore/Shutterstock

His big early acting roles included the adult antichrist Damien in The Omen III in 1981.

Actor Sam Neill and Actress Nicole Kidman on the set of the Warner Bros movie "Dead Calm" circa 1989. He is holding a gunImage source, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

He went on to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the 1989 psychological thriller Dead Calm.

Neill alongside Sir Sean Connery in 1990 submarine thriller The Hunt For Red OctoberImage source, Everett/Shutterstock

Neill appeared opposite Sir Sean Connery in 1990 submarine thriller The Hunt For Red October.

Sam Neill in The Piano wearing a bowler hatImage source, Jan Chapman Prods/Ciby 2000/Miramax/Kobal/Shutterstock

He featured in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning 1993 drama The Piano.

Sam Neill in Jurassic ParkImage source, Getty Images

Neill will be best remembered, though, for playing Dr Alan Grant in US director Steven Spielberg's 1993 sci-fi adventure Jurassic Park.

View of, from left, actors Richard Attenborough (in costume as John Hammond), Martin Ferrero (as Donald Gennaro), Sam Neill (as Alan Grant), Jeff Goldblum (as Ian Malcolm), and Laura Dern (as Ellie Sattler) in the film 'Jurassic Park' (directed by Steven Spielberg), 1993. (Photo by Image source, Murray Close/Moviepix/Getty Images)

Jeff Goldblum and Martin Ferrero also appeared alongside Neill, Dern and Attenborough - as well as lots of dinosaurs.

Sam Neill's character Dr Alan Grant comes up against three dinosaurs in Jurassic Park IIIImage source, Getty Images

He reprised his role as the palaeontologist in Jurassic Park III in 2001.

After a long gap, the franchise returned with different actors for a modern trilogy of Jurassic World movies from 2015 onwards, but the original stars returned for one last hurrah in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion.

Sam Neill on board a spaceship in Event HorizonImage source, Macpherson/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Jurassic Park aside, the actor went into space in 1997's sci-fi thriller Event Horizon.

Sam Neill as MerlinImage source, Getty Images

He played the title role in 1998's fantasy adventure TV series Merlin and its 2006 follow-up.

Neill as the moustached Major Chester Campbell in BBC TV's Peaky BlindersImage source, BBC/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky

More recently, Neill appeared as the ruthless Major Chester Campbell in BBC TV's Peaky Blinders.

Sam Neill in Apples Never Fall

His other on screen credits included the mystery drama series Apples Never Fall, alongside Annette Bening.

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