Whether in ‘Jurassic Park’ or ‘The Piano,’ Sam Neill Put the Movies First

Variety is looking back at the career of Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor who worked steadily in film for nearly two decades before becoming, at forty-five, a star in the industry's eyes. As Variety tells it, Neill was a sturdy, reliable everyman — radiating a quiet decency in some roles and a steely chill in others — who never chased the flashy, all-guns-blazing leading part. He remained best known for films like the dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park and the drama The Piano. It's a portrait of a performer who, as the headline puts it, always put the movies first.

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