FrameThrower · Actors · Sam Neill
Sam Neill
15 films · 1,139 frames · top-billed in 13 · 1981–2023
Born 14 September 1947 · Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, UK · died 13 July 2026
Sir Nigel John Dermot 'Sam' Neill was a New Zealand actor. His career included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an 'international leading man', he is regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
Born in Northern Ireland to an English mother and New Zealand father, Neill moved to Christchurch with his family in 1954. He first achieved recognition with his appearance in the film Sleeping Dogs (1977), which he followed with leading roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), Omen III: The Final Conflict, Possession (both 1981), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Piano (1993), and In the Mouth of Madness (1994).…
Awards
On FrameThrower we have: 15 films · 1,139 frames · top-billed in 13 · 1981–2023
- Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit2022
- Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit2007
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire1991
- Sitges Grand Honorary Award2019
- honorary doctor of the University of Canterbury2002
- honorary degree2002
- AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role1989
How their films are shot
Measured across 1,139 frames from the 15 films we hold. This is the look of the work Sam takes, not a claim about any single frame — we index the cast of a film, never the people in a shot.
Across the 15 films we hold, 43% of their frames are day, 45% natural — the look of the work Sam takes.
Time of day
Lighting
Shot size
Camera angle
Mood
Films in the library
Every poster opens that film — stills, cinematography notes and colour palette.
Scarygirl
2023 · Dr. Maybee (voice)
Ride Like a Girl
2019 · Paddy Payne
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2016 · Hec
The Hunter
2011 · Jack Mindy
Skin
2009 · Abraham Laing
Jurassic Park III
2001 · Dr. Alan Grant
Event Horizon
1997 · Weir
Restoration
1995 · King Charles II
In The Mouth of Madness
1994 · John Trent
Jurassic Park
1993 · Grant
The Piano
1993 · Alisdair Stewart
Until The End Of The World
1991 · Eugene Fitzpatrick
Possession
1981 · Mark
Jurassic World: Dominion
2022 · Alan Grant
The Hunt for Red October
1990 · Capt. 2nd Vasily Borodin
Often with
Shared films in this library, not a full filmography.
A reference database for filmmakers
FrameThrower is a fully machine-searchable film database and visual reference library — all 1,139 frames from Sam Neill's 15 films, and 5,000+ films besides, indexed frame by frame and readable by AI. Search it in plain language, from a reference image, or by colour; call it from an API, an MCP server or an SDK. It's the reference layer for making the next movie.