Stephanie Allen

RIP Sam Neill (1947-2026) Sam Neill on why "The Piano" (1993) is an important movie in Cinema history: "I don’t think I can overestimate how important 'The Piano' (1993) is for me in hindsight. It sits on my funny old CV like a medal on my chest. It wasn’t my film. It was Jane Campion's. I wasn’t the star of the film. That was Holly Hunter. But there is honour to be found in the second fiddle. Or fourth. No one notices you much, you don’t get nominated for things. But you served. I was there in an important feminist film. I was there on the front line in an important New Zealand film. Neither of these labels does the film justice. It’s a work of art. And look, that tiny little figure in the fabric— see down there on the right—that’s me. It’s a film that will always have a place in cinema history. And I served in it." ("Did I Ever Tell You This: A Memoir", Sam Neill, 2023)