Sam Neill spoke to Kurt Bayer during wine harvest at his Central Otago vineyards in 2024.

Sam Neill spoke to Kurt Bayer during wine harvest at his Central Otago vineyards in 2024.

Neill died in Sydney today surrounded by family.

The actor, who has died aged 78, was refreshingly candid about Hollywood, filmmaking, his cancer treatment – and why he preferred life on his New Zealand farm to the movie business

Sam Neill raised money for the community cinema and traded banter in the local cafe, so to residents of the small towns near where he lived, the actor fitted right in

The actor founded Central Otago winery Two Paddocks in 1993 as a personal passion.