Best known for his role as tough, no-nonsense paleontologist Dr Alan Grant, Sam Neill was loved by audiences for his starring role in the Jurassic Park film franchise.
Born on September 14 1947, in Omagh, Northern Ireland, to an English mother and a New Zealander father, Neill moved to Christchurch in New Zealand in 1954, where he attended the University Of Canterbury, but was uncertain on which career path to follow, at one point considering becoming a lawyer.