Much-loved New Zealand actor Sam Neill talks to Herald Entertainment writer Lillie Rohan to share a cancer update, his “concerns” for Central Otago, and why Kiwis should watch his show The Twelve . When interviewing one of New Zealand’s most famous actors, there’s a part of you that expects fireworks, glamour, or a momentary shift in the universe - something that makes it known that you’re talking to an actor of a generation. That didn’t happen with Sam Neill .
Not because he’s not a great actor - he is, he just doesn’t act like it. The 76-year-old is sitting in what looks to be a home office. Behind him, a white wall with a piece of vibrant red art.
His salt-and-pepper hair is dishevelled, and his beard is unruly yet well-kept. “I’m very pleased to be alive,” he says very matter-of-factly. “Things weren’t looking too good there for a bit.
”.
