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

'A Kiwi icon' - Celebrities and leaders from Australia and New Zealand react to Neill's death

Australian actor David Wenham, who was directed by Neill in The Brush Off says: "Aside from being an international all-round legend. Sam was the kindest, cheekiest, most generous and supportive friend going around."

Australian author and former Wallabies rugby union player Peter FitzSimons called Neill "a wonderful bloke with an impish sense of humour".

"Sam never actually became an Australian citizen, but in my view he'd be a great candidate for a State funeral," FitzSimons adds.

Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark described Neill as a "legendary NZ actor who brought great pride to our country", adding that he was also a "champion of NZ’s arts, culture, unique environment, & wines".

New Zealand's foreign minister Winston Peters says Neill "was a Kiwi icon through his work in both local and Hollywood films that entertained people around the world over decades".

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

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

Jetman54 on July 13rd, 2026 at 06:08 UTC »

Devastating news. We obviously can’t know what celebrities are like behind the scenes, but everything I’ve ever seen or heard about him seemed to indicate that he was a lovely human being. He’s leaving behind an impressive legacy, to say the least. RIP

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

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