Sam Neill has disclosed why he gave up his "embarrassing" real name.
The 76-year-old New Zealand actor gained international prominence after starring as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), which follows scientists visiting a safari amusement park of genetically engineered dinosaurs on an island over one weekend.
The Steven Spielberg directional was a blockbuster hit, grossing a staggering $914 million worldwide in its original theatrical run.
Neill reprised his role in the following films: Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). But after becoming one of the most-recognized actors on the planet, it turns out many of us still don't know his real name.
The Peaky Blinders star recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote his new Peacock’s mystery drama miniseries, Apples Never Fall.
After he was welcomed by the 42-year-old host, she said: “I didn’t even realize that your real name isn’t even Sam.”
Watch Neill on The Kelly Clarkson Show below:Letting out a sigh, the Jurassic Park icon responded: “That’s embarrassing that you know that. I was christened Nigel Neill – that’s like my parents giving me a disadvantage from the start.”
“I think Nigel Neill is strong,” the singer contended, to which Neill argued: “No, no. You never want to be called Nigel.
"It’s also called ‘Nigel No Mates’, you know, ‘Nigel No Friends.'"
The Kiwi star then shared that when he was 10, his best friend was called Nigel Nut, saying: "Which is even worse".
“Yeah, that was a disadvantage. But we liked Westerns, and we thought, ‘Let’s not just call ourselves Nigel, let’s have a nickname.’ So I was called Sam and he was called Bill, and that was the best decision I ever made,” he added.
Neill's new miniseries is an adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s 2021 novel of the same name.
It follows the well-known Delaney family, who have plenty of secrets that get exposed after their matriarch, Joy (Annette Bening), goes missing.
Joy's disappearance rocks the community, especially as her husband, Stan (Neill), becomes the prime suspect in the shocking case.
The show also stars Alison Brie as Amy Delaney, Conor Merrigan Turner as Logan Delaney, Essie Randles as Brooke Delaney, Jake Lacy as Troy Delaney, Paula Andrea Placido as Gina Solis, and more.
All seven episodes of Apples Never Fall are available to stream on Peacock.
Last year, Neill revealed that he was in remission following an angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma diagnosis. He later told fans he is "prepared" for death.
Neill, ever the optimist, expressed: "I'm not afraid of dying; what I don't want to do is to stop living because I really enjoy living."
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