Renowned actor Sam Neill recently spared some time out of his busy schedule at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to briefly talk about his role as Charles Bromley, the corrupt president of a human blood farming corporation in the Sci-fi/horror film, Daybreakers. Although most known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant, Neill has proven with his extensive filmography (which includes Dead Calm, Event Horizon and the Omen 3) that he is no stranger to the horror genre. Read on to find out more about Neill’s experience on set, his upcoming projects and talk of the much rumored Jurassic Park 4.

*Please be warned that this interview contains spoilers to Daybreakers.

Can you tell us about your character?

Sam Neill: In some ways I would say he’s the most reality-based character in the screenplay.  [Bromley] is the sort of person who is responsible for the economical times that we are laboring through at this point. So I had some real-life models to work with. The Corporate Vampire if you will. [laughs] The kind of guy that awards himself bonuses that you and I can only dream of.

Were you attracted to the script based upon the social commentary aspect of it?

No, I think the social commentary is sort of an interesting by product of this.  I like a good genre film and I love a good thriller once in a while. The combination of the vampire genre and science-fiction genre I personally find appealing.  I loved it from page two when a vampire gets a Starbucks with a double shot of blood. [laughs]

How was it working with The Spierig Brothers and have you seen their previous film, Undead?

No, I’ve actually never seen it. I do want to see it though. [The Spierig Brothers] have this extremely sort of synergy and they understand each other in a way that most siblings can’t. It didn’t matter which you one you asked a question to, you would get a similar answer from both.  They’re like two halves of one brain. They’re fantastically engaging and intelligent individuals and there’s something very potent about them as a team.

How was it working with Willem Dafoe and Ethan Hawke?

Well Willem is an old pal of mine and we worked together about fifteen years ago. Again, he was playing the good guy and I was playing the villain. I’m used to being bad when he’s around. [laughs]  He’s a great guy and he’s wonderfully inventive and a great actor.  I didn’t know Ethan before and we got on really well.  He’s a good useful leading man. He can carry a film and not many people can do that.

How did you end getting attached to this project?

They sent me a script and I liked it. I didn’t even have to finish it, I knew this would be fun to do.

How did you feel about the father/daughter relationship in the film?

Isabel Lucas played my daughter and she was a sweet girl.  Having daughters myself who don’t understand me [laughs] and I certainly don’t understand them, it wasn’t really a stretch for me to pull off. Although, I wouldn’t turn them into vampires. That would be horrible. [laughs]

(SPOILER ALERT!) You meet a grisly end in this movie. Is it weird seeing yourself mutilated onscreen? It’s not the first time for you.

That’s the funniest bit of the film for me. [laughs] It’s done seamlessly and the great bit with the head at the end. It’s not the way I would like to die.  I would like to die quietly in my own bed in no pain rather than being ripped apart by my own soldiers.  Although, I would like to comment on the scene afterwards where the army are eating themselves. It has a strange sort of slow motion beauty to it.  I was quite taken by it.

Can you tell us about any other films that you have playing at TIFF this year?

I have a children’s film called Under the Mountain coming out that I haven’t seen.  It’s a scary film for kids. I have no idea how it looks like so I better go see it. [laughs]

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

At the moment I am working on a project called Happy Town, which I’m shooting here in Toronto.  It should funny, scary and unusual.  I’m looking forward to it coming out.

Okay…I’m going to bite the bullet and ask that question.  Would you consider doing Jurassic Park 4?

Well no one has suggested it. I don’t imagine they’re going to make a Jurassic Park 4. I get asked that question once every three months. [laughs]

Thank you Sam for your time!

Thanks very much and I hope you have a great week at TIFF.

Email Serena at serena@killerfilm.com

Tags: Daybreakers, Dead Calm, Event Horizon, jurassic park 4, Omen 3, Sam Neill