Hollywood icon Sam Neill – who died on Monday, July 13, 2026 — was best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” but he also had an impressive number of TV roles under his belt. Aside from going up against Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby in “Peaky Blinders,” Neill also starred in Netflix’s “Untamed” with Eric Bana. The crime drama takes place in Yosemite National Park, with Bana as Kyle Turner, an agent for the Investigative Services Branch.
Speaking to ComingSoon in 2025, Bana said it was a “dream come true” to work with Neill. “I was so thrilled when he was able to come on board. He’s charismatic. He’s funny. He has this incredible quality that all the great actors do that I’ve worked with, which is, there’s this kind of effortless quality … Just very collaborative.”
The story of “Untamed” revolves around Turner as he investigates the bizarre death of a woman who seemingly fell from the El Capitan summit. Neill plays Chief Ranger Paul Souter, Turner’s mentor, who winds up becoming a vital part of the mystery throughout the six-episode season. Not only is it a twisty plot with a shocking ending, but it has some brilliantly intense performances from the cast.
Eric Bana had nothing but praise and admiration for Sam Neill
For anyone who hasn’t seen “Untamed,” be warned because the show hides a major twist late into the season that completely shatters the status quo for Eric Bana’s character. For those that have seen it, it’s immediately clear why Netflix got Sam Neill on board to play Paul Souter, who hides a complicated personal history involving the sprawling mystery.
Bana said that it was “interesting to play” with the relationship between their two characters, especially because Souter is “kind of the only person that Kyle really respects in the whole show.”
“Untamed” was renewed for Season 2 by Netflix in July of 2025.