The Daily Populous Monday July 13rd, 2026 day edition
Authored by bbc.com and submitted by WantKBBQNow

While Sam Neill is known as one of New-Zealand's best known actors, his roots lie in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Neill's New-Zealander father was stationed in Omagh as an officer with the Irish Guards when Neill was born in 1947.

"I was born in Omagh, we lived in Armagh and my favourite place here was Tyrella beach, I sort of think that's where I grew up," Neill told the BBC in 2012.

He lived in Northern Ireland until he was seven, when he and his family moved to New Zealand - however Neill returned to his roots when cast as a Belfast police chief in BBC's Peaky Blinders in 2013.

At the time, Neill said his Northern Ireland accent had been "well beaten out" of him by classmates in New-Zealand, and that he had to get help from friends and fellow actors James Nesbitt and Liam Neeson to re-learn it for the role.

_Ludovico on July 13rd, 2026 at 06:09 UTC »

His expression upon seeing dinosaurs for the first time still gives me chills

bubblebaths_ on July 13rd, 2026 at 06:07 UTC »

Didn't he announce like a month or two ago how he was cancer free and super excited about moving on with his life? Wtf happened.

Sportsman180 on July 13rd, 2026 at 06:05 UTC »

Rest in Peace, Dr. Grant! Thanks for the memories!