Sam Neill Takes Break From Other Life As Vintner To Protect Flock In ‘Rams’

To most of the world, Sam Neill is widely known for his broad range of film roles, most notably the Jurassic Park films as well as his work on various TV series including Crusoe and Peaky Blinders, as well as the authoritative narrative voice on documentaries and voiceovers. But the role the Northern Ireland-born, New Zealand-raised Neill relishes the most these days is that of vineyard proprietor. Neill owns a vineyard (actually four) that organically produces Pinot Noirs and Riesling wines under Two Paddocks label. His land holdings include one of the southernmost vineyards in the world.

Operating a successful winemaking business hasn’t kept the ruggedly handsome septuagenarian from his other job—acting—even during a global pandemic. He reprised his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant on the set of Jurassic World: Dominion, after a two-decade absence from the popular sci-fi fantasy franchise, based on the Michael Crichton books. The Universal Pictures
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production underwent various fits and starts last year due to pandemic concerns, but the Colin Trevorrow-directed film Neill stars in with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard eventually wrapped principal photography in November. The film is now in post-production and slated to arrive in theaters next year.

The modest Neill says he feels fortunate to have been able to work on the big studio production, which reportedly laid out roughly $5 million to implement safety protocols for cast and crew, while so many other productions were shelved or delayed last year.

Sitting in a tasting room at his winery in New Zealand’s bucolic Central Otago region, he spoke via Zoom about working during the pandemic, and to promote his newest film, the heartwarming little indie, Rams. He plays a rancher in Western Australia who breeds rare Dorset Horn sheep, including a prized ram. His livelihood and love for his flock are nearly upended when one of his brother’s rams is diagnosed with a deadly and highly contagious bacterial infection known as Ovine Johne’s disease (OJD).

As a precaution the local agricultural agency orders all Dorset Horn sheep in the region to be destroyed, but Colin cannot bring himself to completely carry out the order. After shooting most of his herd, he hides his prized ram and three ewes in (and under) his home, hoping authorities won’t catch on. Colin gets an unexpected ally in his older brother, Les (Michael Caton, Last Cab To Darwin), with whom he hasn’t spoken for 40 years, even though they live on neighboring ranches. The film, directed by Jeremy Sims (Last Cab To Darwin) from a screenplay by Jules Duncan, also stars Miranda Richardson as a kindhearted veterinarian who takes an interest in Colin.

Playing the role of a sheep farmer wasn’t much of a stretch for Neill, who raises sheep, cattle, goats, pigs and other animals on his organic ranch/vineyard/orchard.

“I’m fond of sheep and I like to think they’re fond of me,” he says in his straightforward way.

Rams debuted at number one at the Australian box office when it opened there in October. It is slated to open in the U.S. in theaters and will be available On Demand Friday Feb 5.

Angela Dawson: Rams reunites you with Michael Caton, whom you worked with several years ago.

Sam Neill: Yes. Michael and I actually go back to 1979; I’ve been around for quite a while. I was a fairly young, inexperienced actor in Australia. I’d just left New Zealand. I was actually relieving Mel Gibson for three months on a popular soap called The Sullivans. I did a guest spot for three months as the love interest for the glamour girl in the show. Michael was one of the senior actors on that (show). He took me under his wing and was very kind to me, and we’ve been friends ever since.

So, (Rams) was the first time we worked together since 1979. It was a long time between drinks.

Dawson: Having had that history together, did that help you connect as bickering brothers in this?

Neill: Yes, I think so. We treat each other with some wry forbearance, and we know what the other is up to. I’m very fond of Michael; he’s a very good guy. He’s always fun after work to open a bottle of wine with.

Dawson: With your experience in raising sheep, is the health threat posed in Rams something you’re personally aware of or familiar with?

Neill: I have sheep but I wasn’t aware of OJD, which is very infectious. I was talking to someone just last week who grew up on a sheep stud farm, and he said that concern always hung over their shoulder—the possibility of this breaking out. But the film is oddly prescient because it talks of a pandemic and bush fires.  A year after we shot it, Australia endured these horrific bush fires, and then less than two years afterwards, we had this pandemic. So, it’s oddly prophetic. Those are just two elements of the film, both of which resonate with Australian audiences.

The great thing is that it’s a film that leaves you feeling better about things, and we can all do with a bit of that at the moment. It’s nice to get that sort of feedback because it’s been on release in Australia and New Zealand. People have stopped me in the street and say, “I so loved seeing that film. I just found it so encouraging.” So, I’m glad I did it. I’m glad I made the film.

Dawson: Colin and Les are reunited in their act of defiance. What they’re doing may not be right, but they have put so much of their lives into raising these sheep.

Neill: We all understand that they’re not as law-abiding as they should be. One of the great things about New Zealand—touch wood—is that we’re in a very fortunate position with regarding to Covid-19 because people here have been so compliant, and it’s really paid off.  Things can go wrong and will go wrong if people aren’t compliant, so it’s important that we do the right thing.

Dawson: These brothers live side-by-side, yet manage not to speak to one another for decades. How can that be?

Neill: Where I am now in my vineyard, about one mile east of me is a big homestead. This land used to be part of a sheep farm—maybe 100,000 acres or so. But it has since been broken up and (my) vineyard is part of what was that family’s land. The homestead is a massive Victorian house, with something like 10 bedrooms and servants’ quarters. At some point in its history, it was inherited by two brothers who absolutely hated each other but they couldn’t leave the farm, so they just divided the house in half—bricked it up—and one lived at one end, and the other at the other end, and they never spoke.

Dawson: Are you reluctant to leave the vineyard or even the country since it’s such a safe place to be right now?

Neill: It’s a difficult question. Until such time as I can get vaccinated—I’d like to get a shot tomorrow if I could—I think I need to approach anything with a great deal of caution. We were lucky shooting the last Jurassic film (Jurassic World: Dominion) because we were looked after so well—the protocols were so well worked out—and we got through that. It was with considerable difficulty and expense, it has to be said. They spent about $5 million on keeping everybody safe, but not every (movie) project can afford that so TBA as to when. I just don’t know.

Dawson: You and your family are well. You’ve got the vineyard and the ranch. You’re keeping yourself busy and haven’t run out of things to do.

Neill: Absolutely. I’ve got Two Paddocks (He holds up a bottle of his Pinot Noir label). I planted my first vines 30 years ago and so this is my other life. It keeps me fully occupied and engaged. I really enjoy my life here on the farm. I’ve got my rams and my cattle, and more than anything, I’ve got my vines.

Dawson: You starred in Roger Michell’s family drama Blackbird, which came out last year. That was a pretty closed set, with just the eight-person cast as well as the crew.

Neill: That was like a little family too. In both Rams and Blackbird, we had tight little families living together and trusting each other. One of the great things about making films is that you’re not just making films, you’re making friends. My friends and colleagues have been so important to me, and are such a rewarding part of what I do. Right now, I’m so worried about the fate of so many of my colleagues and friends at the moment. I felt very fortunate to be able to work last year because so many were not. I’m hoping that this year will be a lot better in that regard.

The arts, and not just actors but also singers, dancers and musicians, their lives and their livelihoods have been completely upended, and it’s distressing to see how little so many governments around the world seem to care about the arts, and those who have committed their lives to it.

For me, no country is worth a damn without its culture. What is life in a country without theater and the visual arts, the performing arts? It’s not worth a damn. It takes times like this to realize what makes life so rich.