I'll never forget Sam Neill
The Spectator wrote this week that actor Sam Neill, whose unexpected death was announced by his family, was claimed as a son by not one, but three countries. Born in Northern Ireland, grown up in New Zealand, and first making his name in Australia, Neill was more than the 'Jurassic Park actor' as first reports of his death labelled him.
From the time he first enjoyed the spotlight in the 1970s Australian film, My Brilliant Career, and his Bafta-winning portrayal of the enigmatic Sidney Reilly in television's Reilly, Ace of Spies, to his most recent work, Neill's career was as versatile as it was broad.
Personally, I have very found memories of Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly. Every Friday after ending my week of lectures at noon, I walked from them to the train station, took the train and then the bus at the other end homewards. There my mom would have prepared my favourite fish meal already.
After a quick eat I went upstairs and put my little television on. Reilly, Ace of Spies was on, with Sam Neill in the role of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the British. The Thames Television-series from 1983 was based on the 1967 book Ace of Spies by Robin Bruce Lockhart.
Among the many Reilly's exploits, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. Moreover, the theme music used for the tv-series was the beautiful Romance movement from Dmitri Shostakovich's The Gadfly Suite. Glorious times.
[media=https://youtu.be/Xbj7VglpZGo]
From the time he first enjoyed the spotlight in the 1970s Australian film, My Brilliant Career, and his Bafta-winning portrayal of the enigmatic Sidney Reilly in television's Reilly, Ace of Spies, to his most recent work, Neill's career was as versatile as it was broad.
Personally, I have very found memories of Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly. Every Friday after ending my week of lectures at noon, I walked from them to the train station, took the train and then the bus at the other end homewards. There my mom would have prepared my favourite fish meal already.
After a quick eat I went upstairs and put my little television on. Reilly, Ace of Spies was on, with Sam Neill in the role of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the British. The Thames Television-series from 1983 was based on the 1967 book Ace of Spies by Robin Bruce Lockhart.
Among the many Reilly's exploits, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. Moreover, the theme music used for the tv-series was the beautiful Romance movement from Dmitri Shostakovich's The Gadfly Suite. Glorious times.
[media=https://youtu.be/Xbj7VglpZGo]
