For countless moviegoers, Sam Neill will always be the man who helped make Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs feel terrifyingly alive.
For me, however, the celebrated New Zealand actor is also tied to a brief, perfectly timed joke on a film set — the kind of fleeting moment that said a great deal about his warmth, humour and lack of ego.
In 2018, I spent time working as an extra on Ride Like a Girl, the Australian drama based on jockey Michelle Payne’s historic 2015 Melbourne Cup triumph.
Filmed across Melbourne and regional Victoria, the production brought me into the orbit of one of the screen’s most respected performers — an actor whose career had taken him from modest beginnings to international acclaim.
On set, among cast members including Teresa Palmer and Magda Szubanski, he was simply Sam: a generous and highly skilled performer playing Michelle Payne’s father.
To me, though, he was still the Jurassic Park icon who had faced down a Tyrannosaurus rex and somehow made it out the other side.
In 2018, Daily Mail reporter Jimmy Briggs worked as an extra on Ride Like a Girl, the Australian film about jockey Michelle Payne’s remarkable 2015 Melbourne Cup win. Pictured: Sam Neill and Teresa Palmer in a scene from the movie
Neill reflected many of the qualities he often brought to the screen: quiet confidence, warmth, humour and an unmistakably down-to-earth manner. On set, he was heard praising Michelle Payne for insisting that her brother Stevie (left), who has Down syndrome, portray himself in the film
I remember my first encounter with Neill. I was standing with another extra when we spotted him walking towards us.
Noticing us staring, Neill flashed a grin and quipped: ‘Don’t worry… I don’t bite!’
The perfectly timed joke broke the ice instantly. We burst into laughter and, just like that, the awkwardness disappeared.
It was only a throwaway comment, but it said everything about the man. Rather than walking past two nervous extras, Neill went out of his way to make us feel comfortable and welcome.
As filming wrapped one afternoon, Neill smiled at a group of us extras and simply said: ‘Thanks for your hard work, everyone.’
It was only a brief comment, but it made my day. Extras rarely get noticed, let alone thanked by one of Hollywood’s biggest stars; I remember thinking how great it was that Sam Neill considered what we were doing ‘hard work’ at all.
Working as an extra is a strange job: you’re expected to blend into the background, but it also gives you a front-row seat to watch actors when the cameras aren’t rolling.
From everything I saw, Neill was much like many of the characters he played on screen – quietly confident, warm, funny and very down to earth.
I remember my first encounter with Neill. I was standing with another extra when we spotted him walking towards us. Pictured: Daily Mail reporter Jimmy Briggs (left) with actress Teresa Palmer (right)
To me, though, he was the Jurassic Park legend who had stared down a Tyrannosaurus Rex and lived to tell the tale
He chatted effortlessly with cast and crew alike, his dry wit keeping people smiling between takes.
One conversation I overheard has stayed with me ever since.
Neill was talking about the atmosphere on set and said everyone – from the extras and catering staff to the camera crew and lead actors – was just as important as everyone else.
He said he loved working on a production like Ride Like a Girl because everyone felt valued and respected.
It was a sentiment he clearly lived by.
Not long afterwards, I heard him praise Michelle Payne for insisting her brother Stevie, who has Down syndrome, play himself in the film rather than casting a professional actor.
Neill said Stevie’s inclusion gave the movie a level of authenticity that simply couldn’t be replicated, and spoke warmly about what he thought was a brilliant decision.
Neither conversation was for the cameras.
I remember standing with another extra when we spotted Neill walking towards us. We both froze, completely starstruck. Noticing us staring, Neill flashed a grin and quipped: ‘Don’t worry… I don’t bite!’
They were simply candid and unscripted moments with a world-famous actor who continually showed he was a genuinely kind, down-to-earth bloke.
It is those moments – far more than the dinosaurs, Hollywood fame or red carpets – that I’ll remember most.
It comes after Neill died on Monday at the age of 78, just months after he revealed he was ‘cancer-free’ following a long battle with the disease.
The New Zealand actor – who starred in blockbusters such as Jurassic Park and The Piano – died in hospital.
His family described his death as ‘sudden and unexpected’ in a statement published on his Instagram page. The actor was previously diagnosed with a type of blood cancer.
‘It is with immense sadness that the family of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,’ they said.
‘The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
‘More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.’
While Hollywood mourns a cinematic titan, those who were lucky enough to share even a brief moment with him on set will remember a man who brought just as much joy off-screen as he did on it.
