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

A character actor in a leading man’s body, he gave balls-to-the-wall performances in a subversively varied career ‘I’d like to think that, in life, I’m a goodie’: Sam Neill’s final interview His 20 best performances; A life in pictures; Obituary Peter Bradshaw: Sam Neill was a warm, wry and unselfish star who twinkled so others could shine Neill interviewed in 2023, 2024 and 2026 The beloved actor Sam Neill, who died this week aged 78, will return to the screen a few more times, posthumously gracing us with his presence in three films that say a lot about the kind of actor he was, and the sort of reputation he carved out. They could hardly be more different: a wacked-out Australian comedy in which he provides the voice of a sweary magpie (The Fox); a romcom set in the Philippines (The Last Resort); and the next instalment in a blockbuster Hollywood franchise about giant mutant stampeding monsters (Godzilla x Kong: Supernova). Their differences speak volumes about Neill’s range and inability to be pigeonholed. Most actors carve out a niche by embracing some kind of shtick or signature style: perhaps they’re badass action heroes, romantic heart-throbs, reliable dramat