Actor Sam Neill, who died on Monday at the age of 78, was a prolific actor, appearing in more than 150 films and television works over five decades. Neill was born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, and was distinguished by his ability to use his rugged charm (and unique accent) in a variety of roles including blockbuster action films and classic horror films that enjoy wide popularity and mass appeal. In a statement to the Chicago Tribune in 1995, Neill said: 'I never had a specific stereotype, and I never sought to create or possess one; that gave me immense freedom to choose what I liked at any time.' That spirit of curiosity and flexibility accompanied him throughout his career.

Below is a list of some of his most memorable works.

Film: 'Jurassic Park' (1993)

Neill rose to stardom thanks to his performance as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant - realistic and lovably grumpy - in the film 'Jurassic Park'; a work that achieved overwhelming global success for director Steven Spielberg, and was the launchpad for one of the most enduring and successful film series in Hollywood history. In this film about giant creatures, adapted from a novel by Michael Crichton, Neill co-starred with Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, and Samuel L. Jackson; a diverse group of characters gathered to evaluate a highly secret theme park, where dinosaurs were resurrected for scientific purposes 'theoretically', but primarily for profit. When things go wrong and spiral out of control, they find themselves forced to survive and escape from those prehistoric monsters.

Neill later returned to play the same character in 'Jurassic Park III' (2001) and 'Jurassic World: Dominion' (2022). In a statement to The New York Times in 2022, Neill said: 'The Jurassic Park films are often known as dinosaur movies, but if you're not interested in the human characters, these films won't work. The dinosaurs play supporting roles, albeit amazing ones.'

Film: 'Event Horizon' (1997)

Neill employed his talents on a journey to outer space in this film that blends science fiction and horror with an awe-inspiring tone; directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Despite the film suffering commercial and critical failure upon its release - as a New York Times critic wrote that Anderson 'drowns almost every scene in flashy visual effects in a futile attempt to cover up the lack of intellectual content' - it later became a classic work highly appreciated by a wide audience.

The film is set in 2047, where Neill plays Dr. Weir, a mentally unstable scientist who has lost his wife to a recent suicide. Weir is called to participate in a secret rescue mission to find the spaceship 'Event Horizon' - a ship he designed himself that was lost years ago on its maiden voyage, before suddenly and mysteriously appearing near the planet Neptune. Weir had equipped the ship with a magnetic space-folding device, allowing it to travel vast distances in the blink of an eye. The mission members are unaware that the ship has fallen under the control of a conscious, evil force, which will soon begin to psychologically terrorize them. Neill's performance - portraying a broken man who transforms into the embodiment of absolute evil, in a radical and stunning shift far from the steady and reliable Dr. Grant character he played in 'Jurassic Park' - is shocking, even legendary in the eyes of fans of this genre.

In the film 'The Hunt for Red October' (IMDb)

Film: 'The Hunt for Red October' (1990)

A few years before his massive popular success, Neill co-starred in this thriller and espionage film - set around submarines during the Cold War - alongside Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, and James Earl Jones. The film is adapted from a novel by Tom Clancy and directed by John McTiernan.

Neill plays the Soviet commander Borodin - an ideal character with a quiet dignity - as the second-in-command to Captain Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery). Ramius leads a mutiny aboard the submarine 'Red October', a submarine equipped with enough missiles to destroy most major American cities, as well as a highly advanced technical system that allows it to evade detection. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Neill's performance - portraying an officer loyal to his comrade until the very end - is his delivery of what is arguably the film's most enduring line: 'I would have liked to see Montana.'

From the film 'In the Mouth of Madness' (IMDb)

Film: 'In the Mouth of Madness' (1995)

This film is the third and final part of what director John Carpenter called the 'Apocalypse Trilogy', preceded by 'The Thing' (1982) and 'Prince of Darkness' (1987). Actor Neill plays John Trent, an arrogant and skeptical insurance investigator tasked with finding the famous writer Sutter Cane - a horror story author who mimics Stephen King's style - after his recent disappearance. In this story that explores themes of the boundaries of reality and the power of mass media, Cane's readers increasingly go mad as they are influenced by his storytelling style. It doesn't take long for Trent to begin losing his mental balance as this strange phenomenon infiltrates his being; giving actor Neill another opportunity to showcase his superb ability to shift the character from one extreme to another - a spine-chilling and awe-inspiring performance, similar to his work in 'Event Horizon' and 'The Piano'.

Sam Neill appeared in two seasons of the series 'Peaky Blinders' (IMDb)

Series: 'Peaky Blinders' (2013-2014)