It was devastating news to learn that Sam Neill had passed away on July 13, 2026, especially to those of us who grew up watching him play iconic characters like Jurassic Park‘s Dr. Alan Grant, Merlin in the Merlin miniseries, and Captain Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October. He will be, and already has been, missed tremendously, but I’m also thrilled that I’ll apparently get to see him one last time in the upcoming Legend of Zelda film. This is essentially one of the most successful video game franchises of all time colliding with one of the greatest actors of our time, so there’s quite a bit of promise there already. The only question now is which role the late Sam Neill might be playing in The Legend of Zelda, though one character in particular feels like it was created specifically for him.
It hasn’t yet been revealed what Neill’s reported final performance will be in The Legend of Zelda, and it also hasn’t been outright confirmed by Sony, nor Neill’s former reps, whether he will, in fact, be appearing in the upcoming film. However, according to Deadline, as well as many other sources, this is very much the case. If it’s true, then there’s one role that would fit Neill perfectly: Rhoam, the King of Hyrule. Sure, the late New Zealand actor could do just about any role that was handed to him and do it well, and that is undoubtedly true of The Legend of Zelda as well, before the movie is even out. But as the King of Hyrule, Neill’s range would be given the stage it’s due, and his soothing but commanding voice, wise eyes, and authoritative demeanor would deliver to us the performance the character deserves.
Sam Neill’s Tremendous Range Makes Him Perfect for Zelda’s King of Hyrule
Looking back at Sam Neill’s career, it’s actually kind of difficult to pin down exactly what type of actor he was, and I mean that in the best possible way. There are actors who become known for comedy, actors who spend their careers as action stars, and actors who are so good at playing villains that it’s hard to imagine them doing anything else. Neill somehow managed to occupy just about every corner of that spectrum over the course of more than five decades, moving from massive Hollywood blockbusters to psychological horror, intimate dramas, fantasy, and comedy without ever really feeling like he doesn’t belong there.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Sam Neill’s Most Recognizable Performances
- Mark – Possession (1981)
- Dr. Alan Grant – Jurassic Park (1993)
- Captain Vasily Borodin – The Hunt for Red October (1990)
- Alisdair Stewart – The Piano (1993)
- John Trent – In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
- Dr. William Weir – Event Horizon (1997)
- Hector Faulkner – Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
And that’s without even getting into his television work, which includes Merlin in 1998’s Merlin miniseries and the thoroughly unpleasant Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders. Neill earned an Emmy nomination for Merlin, in particular, so The Legend of Zelda certainly wouldn’t have been his first time stepping into a huge fantasy world and basically owning the stage.
What always stood out about Neill, though, was how well he could play all those different characters without always making a big show of it. He had this naturally calm presence that could become reassuring, intimidating, suspicious, or even terrifying depending on what a scene needed from him. Alan Grant is probably the easiest example of the warmer side of that. He’s hardly the world’s most enthusiastic father figure when Jurassic Park begins, but watching his relationship with Tim and Lex develop is part of what makes Grant so easy to love. Then there’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, where Neill somehow turns a grumpy, emotionally closed-off Hector into one of the warmest characters of his career.
Looking back at Sam Neill’s career, it’s actually kind of difficult to pin down exactly what type of actor he was, and I mean that in the best possible way.
On the other end of the spectrum, Event Horizon and In the Mouth of Madness showed just how unsettling Neill could be when that same composure started to crack. The Hunt for Red October, meanwhile, gave him a character who could be reserved and authoritative while still feeling entirely human. There was always something about Neill just being there, even when he wasn’t raising his voice or dominating a scene, and that’s exactly the sort of thing I would want from Rhoam, The Legend of Zelda‘s King of Hyrule.
King Rhoam Is Exactly the Kind of Character Sam Neill Did Best
Spoilers ahead for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule was the final king of Hyrule before the Great Calamity, as well as Princess Zelda’s father. By the time Link wakes up at the beginning of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Rhoam has already been dead for a century, although his spirit remains on the Great Plateau disguised as the Old Man who helps Link get back on his feet. Eventually, he reveals who he really is, explains what happened to Hyrule, and sends Link toward the beginning of his journey to save Zelda.
That alone would suit Neill remarkably well. I can already hear that calm, unmistakable voice coming from the Old Man as he explains Hyrule’s history to Link, before eventually dropping the disguise and revealing himself as the kingdom’s fallen ruler. Neill could absolutely sell the difference between those two versions of the same character, too. He could have been approachable and even a little eccentric as the Old Man, then suddenly stand a little straighter, let his voice drop, and make it immediately clear that Link has actually been speaking to royalty this whole time. Perhaps more importantly, though, it’s Rhoam’s relationship with Zelda that would have really given Neill something to work with.
Rhoam isn’t exactly Father of the Year in Breath of the Wild. With Calamity Ganon’s return approaching, he becomes fixated on Zelda awakening the sacred power needed to stop it, and he repeatedly pushes her away from the ancient technology and research she genuinely loves so she can focus on training. At one point, he outright forbids her from continuing that research and chastises her over her inability to awaken her power. From Zelda’s perspective, he’s incredibly hard on her, and it’s easy to understand why their relationship becomes so strained.
It’s Rhoam’s relationship with Zelda that would have really given Neill something to work with.
But Breath of the Wild also makes it clear that Rhoam isn’t doing any of this because he doesn’t love his daughter. In fact, that’s what makes the whole thing so tragic. His journal reveals that he understands exactly what Zelda is going through. Her mother died when Zelda was six, leaving her without the person who was supposed to teach her how to use her sacred power, and Rhoam knows that his constant pressure is only driving Zelda deeper into the research she uses as an escape. He even admits that he would rather comfort her, but with Ganon looming over Hyrule, he believes he has to be a king before he can be a father.
Eventually, Rhoam realizes that approach isn’t working. While Zelda is away at the Spring of Wisdom, he resolves to stop scolding her if she fails again, welcome her home kindly, and perhaps even encourage the research he had previously forbidden. The heartbreaking part is that he never gets the chance. Calamity Ganon returns before Zelda makes it back, Hyrule falls, and Rhoam dies without ever being able to tell his daughter what he had finally realized. And that’s the King Rhoam I would want Sam Neill to play.
He wouldn’t need to turn Rhoam into some cold, booming fantasy king who spends every scene barking orders from a throne. Neill could have made his authority feel effortless. More importantly, he could have made it painfully obvious that underneath every command was a father who loved his daughter and simply had no idea how to reconcile that love with what he believed his kingdom required of him. One stern look could communicate the king, and one tiny break in that expression could reveal the father underneath.
Obviously, there’s still no guarantee that The Legend of Zelda movie is adapting Breath of the Wild closely enough for Rhoam’s story to play out this way—or even that Neill is playing Rhoam at all. The film’s plot is still under wraps, and his role hasn’t been officially confirmed or identified. Still, even if the movie creates its own version of Zelda’s father rather than lifting Rhoam directly from Breath of the Wild, that basic character feels almost tailor-made for Neill.
He had the voice of a king, the presence of a king, and, perhaps most importantly, the range necessary to remind us that the man wearing the crown is still a father underneath it. If Sam Neill really does turn out to be the King of Hyrule in the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, it’s difficult for me to imagine a more fitting casting for one of his final performances.
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
- Director
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Wes Ball
- Writers
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Derek Connolly
- Producers
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Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad
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Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Link
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Bo Bragason
Princess Zelda
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
