Moe mai rā

World-renowned actor and national treasure Sam Neill has passed.

Purea nei e te hau
Horoia e te ua
Whitiwhitia e te ra
Mahea ake nga pōraruraru
Makere ana nga here.

Cleansed by the wind
washed by the rain
and warmed by the sun,
all troubles are cleared away
and all restraints got rid of.

Song by Hirini Melbourne.

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“You know, he held you in his arms when you were a baby”, is what my mother always said to me when Sam Neill came on the screen. It almost became a running joke as his fame grew, and Mum knew she had told me, but told me again nevertheless.

She said it to me again yesterday, after I’d messaged her about Sam's sad passing. I thought of the farmhouse we lived in then. A rundown house, the last one before there was nothing but farmland, where my parents lived rent-free in return for keeping an eye out for dogs worrying the sheep, long gone now; it’s hard to imagine anywhere further from the glamour of Hollywood.

Back in the 70s, Sam was working on a film with my uncle Ian Mune, called Sleeping Dogs. Ian co-wrote the screenplay and acted, while Sam was the lead in what was the first full-length feature produced entirely in New Zealand.

Sam Neill and Ian Mune. Sleeping Dogs 1977.

Over the next half-century, Sam worked around the world on television series and films, but he never forgot where home was. While others in the industry chose to live in London, Los Angeles, or Sydney, Sam’s home was Alexandra on the South Island.

Sam Neill wasn’t born in New Zealand; he was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947, and he died in Sydney, Australia, yesterday. But he was very much a Kiwi, having arrived here in 1954, one of our own who became world famous, not just in NZ, but actually around the world.

I especially remember enjoying The Dish, a movie he starred in which told the story of an Australian observatory that played a critical role in broadcasting the first moon landing.

In a career that has produced such a body of work, it is impossible to cover it all. Jurassic Park must certainly have been a highlight, and I remember seeing The Hunt For Red October, Sirens, and The Piano on the big screen. Fabulous movies.

Then there was Hunt for the Wilderpeople from 2016, with Sam playing Uncle Hector in what I’m sure will remain an all-time Kiwi favourite, a family film with a story and characters that are distinctly of our place in the world.

I remember listening to RNZ when Sam went public with his battle with cancer, tears streaming down my cheeks as I listened to that powerful voice speak of writing his book and of not having long. Then came his reprieve after undergoing CAR T-cell therapy in Australia, which is not publicly funded in New Zealand, with scans no longer showing cancer.

Sam’s family announced that he was still cancer-free when he died, which might seem an odd thing to announce, but I’m sure it will be a comfort to others who see hope in this treatment to know it didn’t kill him. The family has now clarified that he died of pneumonia.

In recent years, Sam has become known for his life in Central Otago, with his pigs and his Two Paddocks vineyard. You might’ve seen this clip of British comedian Russell Howard visiting him, but it’s worth another look at this wonderful, warm human being:

On the news last night, we heard from Jennifer Ward-Lealand that Sam was an advocate for NZ filmmaking throughout his career, always promoting the virtues of home. He supported fair pay for those in the industry and, as she recalled, treated everyone on set with the same respect, which I can’t imagine is the case with many world-famous stars.

Sam spoke out on issues he cared about, and he served as an elected member of the Otago Regional Council for 12 years. He supported Labour both here and in Australia. Here he is talking about Jacinda Ardern and why he thinks we should have women running things, which is hard to argue with at present, especially as I agree.

Sadly, at the end of his life, Sam was subjected to some of the ignorant nastiness that Jacinda received in return for saving lives.

Last year, Sam was called “wrong and anti-Kiwi” by Shane Jones for opposing open-cast gold mining near Cromwell, which is wrong on many levels.

Few people have done as much to promote NZ. Calling Sam anti-Kiwi is a joke. It is also wrong to suggest that his opposition was anti-Kiwi, because it is very much pro-New Zealand. People don’t protest these things just to annoy Shane Jones, although I can see some merit in that, but because they care about the future of our country.

This headline is from the Guardian in April:

Here he is talking about that:

It makes me furious that this wonderful New Zealander, who has brought so much joy and has spoken out in defence of the environment, should be subjected to such vitriol. What sort of person threatens a national treasure, a gentle, decent man, for standing up for what they believe in? The sort who listens to Shane Jones, I guess.

Moe mai rā, Sam. A gentleman, a fabulous actor, and an exceptionally good human being, you made us so very proud, and we will miss your wise words in the years ahead. Thank you for your incredible body of work and for showing us what was possible on the world stage.

Sam Neill. Photograph: Andrew Fox/Alamy

My thoughts are with all who knew and loved Sam, which seems to be an awful lot of people, as my feed is full of anecdotes of kindness, encouragement and a great sense of humour.

Have a good Tuesday, all you lovely people.

Ngā mihi,
Nick.

To end today, here’s Anna Coddington with Purea Nei. If you enjoyed this newsletter, you might like to subscribe to Nick’s Kōrero or share it.