Sam Neill charmed audiences for five decades, but the Jurassic Park star kept his dating history and past relationships largely out of the headlines. The beloved actor died on July 13, 2026, at 78, his family announced in a statement posted to his Instagram account. While Neill never sought tabloid attention, the accomplished women in his life, from Lisa Harrow to Laura Tingle, left a lasting mark on him.
Keep reading for what we know about the three women who shaped him away from the cameras.
Lisa Harrow
Neill met New Zealand actress Harrow in 1980 on the set of Omen III: The Final Conflict, in which she starred opposite him as journalist Kate Reynolds. The pair welcomed son Tim Neill in 1983 before breaking up in 1989. Though some reports have labeled Harrow as his first wife, she is more reliably described as his longtime partner. Harrow built a celebrated career of her own on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in films such as The Last Days of Chez Nous.
Noriko Watanabe
Neill’s love story with Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe began while filming the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. He joked to The Guardian in 2006 that he “leapt out in pursuit of her” during the island shoot and eventually won her over. The two wed in September 1989, and Watanabe gave birth to daughter Elena in January 1991. Neill also adopted Maiko, Watanabe’s daughter from a previous marriage. Along the way, Watanabe became one of the most in-demand artists in her field, with credits including My Best Friend’s Wedding and Memoirs of a Geisha. After nearly three decades, the couple separated in 2017.
Laura Tingle
Neill’s last known romance was with Tingle, one of Australia’s most respected journalists. Their relationship became public in early 2018, when Tingle served as chief political correspondent for ABC’s current affairs program 7.30. The intensely private duo split in 2021. Around the release of his 2023 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, Neill reflected on their time together, sharing that he had “three wonderful years” with Tingle and remained grateful for them. In the book, he called himself “a solitary single man” who would not marry again, and he spent much of his later life at his Two Paddocks winery in New Zealand, where his famously named farm animals kept him company.
