Everybody loves Sam Neill

Irish-born Kiwi Sam Neill has a sense of humour that’s as dry as a James Bond martini, so I’m always glad to get a chance to talk to him at TIFF. He’s in town promoting The Hunter, a made-in-Tasmania dramatic thriller starring Willem Dafoe which has its world premiere Friday night. The film is gorgeous, but clearly shot off the grid in some challenging, mist-shrouded territory that looked cold, wet and often miserable despite the natural beauty. Was it rough, I asked? “My athlete’s foot will never be the same again,” deadpanned Neill.

Neill is a popular guy with his fellow actors. Dafoe praised him and his sense of humour in a later interview Friday and before that, Machine Gun Preacher Gerard Butler was pleasantly surprised to hear I’d just spoken with his pal. “I love Sam,” he said.

-Linda Barnard