Elena Neill is the daughter of Sam Neill and Noriko Watanabe. Her father, Sam, is a vineyard owner, actor, producer, and director from New Zealand, while her mother, Noriko, is a Japanese singer and actress. The couple had their 33 year-old daughter on January 10, 1991.
Elena Neill leveraged the fame that her parents garnered from their entertainment career to gain a spot in the limelight. She is now an actress carving out a career for herself in the movie industry with some movie credits to her name. Everything that you need to know about the young actress has been revealed in this article.
Summary of Elena Neill’s Biography
- Full name: Elena Neill
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: January 10, 1991
- Elena Neill’s Age: 33 years old
- Ethnicity: Eurasian
- Nationality: Australian
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Elena Neill’s Parents: Sam Neill and Noriko Watanabe
- Siblings: Tim Neill and Maiko Spencer
- Elena Neill’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 8 inches
- Elena Neill’s Height in Centimetres: 172 cm
- Elena Neill’s Net worth: $2 million
- Famous for: being the daughter of Sam Neill and Noriko Watanabe
How Old is Elena Neill?
Elena Neill is 33 years old. She was born in Australia on January 10, 1991. Based on this, she is an Australian citizen and of Eurasian descent. The actress grew up in a devout Christian home and continues to practice her faith to this day.
Elena Neill was born under the Capricorn birth sign. She grew up under the care of both parents and is believed to have had a great upbringing from her parents following their status. Meanwhile, the actress started leveraging her parents’ fame at a very young age and has grown to become a public figure.
Despite gaining a spot in the limelight, she remains tight-lipped about some of her personal details. Following this, her educational background has remained under wraps. The names and locations of the schools that she attended, from basic to high school, have not been revealed.
Elena Neill has also not revealed if she earned a degree or the name of the college that she attended. However, it is believed that she had most of her education in Australia.
Elena Neill’s Mother is a Makeup Artist
Elena Neill’s mother, Noriko Watanabe, is an award-winning Japanese actress, make-up artist, and singer born on July 22, 1965, in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan. Despite being a renowned actress, she seems to be reserved when it comes to details about her background. Based on this, there is no information about who her parents are or what they do for a living.
It is also not known if Noriko is a lone child or has other siblings. The actress has also not revealed much about her educational background. She is a well-known make-up artist who has worked on various movie sets.
Noriko Watanabe is also an actress who began acting in 1982 in the Japanese film Ninja Wars. She has also appeared in several other on-screen projects like Umizaru, Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Memoirs of a Geisha, and many more. The actress won the best supporting actress award at the Yokohama Film Festival in 1986. She maintains a close-knit relationship with her daughter.
Elena Neill’s Father is a Renowned New Zealand Actor
Elena Neill’s father, Sam Neill, is a prolific actor, producer, and director from New Zealand. He is also a well-known vineyard owner. Born Sr. Nigel John Dermot on September 14, 1947, at Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Sam Neill is 74 years old.
He was born to Priscilla Beatrice and Neill Dermot, an army officer. The actor spent part of his childhood in Ireland before he moved with his family to New Zealand at the age of 7 years. Sam Neill attended Christ College, Christchurch, an independent Anglican boarding and day secondary school for boys in New Zealand.
Upon graduation from high school, he moved on to the University of Canterbury, where he studied English literature and also started his acting gig. Elena Neill’s father later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.
He ventured into acting in 1971, making his debut in the film City of No. The actor has appeared in numerous films, including Thor: Love and Thunder, The Vow, A Long Way Down, and others. Sam Neill has also appeared in various television shows like The Twelve, House of Hanock, and others. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his on-screen projects.
Elena Neill’s Parents Are Divorced
Elena Neill’s parents met in 1988 on the set of the film Dead Calm. As of then, Sam Neill was among the movie’s cast, while Noriko Watanabe worked as a makeup artist. The actor was overwhelmed by her beauty and commended her many times, after which he approached her to make his feelings for her known.
Fortunately, Noriko seemed to have developed something for him and accepted his request. They began dating afterward and finally tied the knot in 1989 in a private wedding ceremony. After being married for 28 years, news about their split began making headlines in 2017. Though the couple separated afterward, it was not revealed if their separation was made official.
While Sam Neil moved on and started dating Laura Tingle, an American political journalist, Noriko’s love life has been kept out of the limelight. Meanwhile, Noriko was previously married to a mystery man in the past, with whom she welcomed a daughter before meeting Sam Neil.
What Does Elena Neill do for a Living?
With parents that have flourishing careers in acting, it comes as no surprise as Elena Neill decided to tread on the same path. Elena made her acting debut in 2004 as Ayla Katyn in the comedy-drama movie released in 2004, The Brush Off. In 2017, she also played the role of a tattooist in the 2017 movie Top of the Lake.
Since her second movie appearance, Elena Neill seems to have taken a hiatus, which she might decide to break at any time. Meanwhile, aside from her acting career, what she has her hands on at the moment is not known, as she has kept the prying eyes of the media away from her life.
Meet Elena Neill’s Half Siblings From Both Parents
Elena Neill is not a lone child, though she does not have any direct siblings. She has two half-siblings, whom her parents both welcomed from their past relationships, and here is more about them.
Tim Neill
Tim Neill is Elena Neill’s older half-brother, whom her father welcomed from his previous relationship with actress Lisa Harrow. He was born in 1983 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is 41 years old. Though much about him is not in the spotlight, he is an electrician who has worked in the camera and electrical departments of many movies.
Tim Neill is also a professional mountain guide who ventured into acting and has a few movie projects under his belt. Some of the movies that he has appeared in include Matrix Reloaded, Jack Synder’s Justice League, and Guardians of The Galaxy.
Maiko Spencer
Maiko Spencer is Elena Neill’s older half-sister, whom her mother welcomed from her previous marriage. She was born in 1982 and is 42 years old. Despite being in the limelight, little is known about her.
Just like her mother, she is a beautician and hairstylist who is known for her work in the makeup department of the 2013 film, Diana. Having grown up with Elena, they share a strong bond.
