By Guy Lodge
Plus IconGuy Lodge
Film Critic
@guylodge See All
Getty Images Sam Neill had been steadily working in the movies for nearly two decades before he became, at the age of 45, a star in the industry’s eyes. A sturdy, reliable everyman who radiated, depending on the role, a kind of quietly masculine decency or a steely chill, the New Zealander never chased the flashy, all-guns-blazing lead roles. Indeed, through the early years of his career, he did much of his best work as a selfless supporting pillar for various female tour de force turns: Judy Davis in “My Brilliant Career,” Isabelle Adjani in “Possession,” Nicole Kidman in “Dead Calm” and Meryl Streep in “Plenty” and “A Cry in the Dark.” His performances in all those films were intelligent, carefully etched and modulated so as to throw all the spotlight on his co-star; if he wasn’t yet a household name, that very humility had him much in demand.
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