On Monday, news broke that beloved Kiwi actor Sir Sam Neill had died at the age of 78, after his family issued a statement online. 

In 2016, he spoke to Real Life with John Cowan on Newstalk ZB after the release of the iconic Kiwi film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. 

Neill spoke to Cowan about overcoming a childhood stutter, his love for Otago, what inspired his move into winemaking, and a key mentor who helped build his acting career. 

LISTEN ABOVE

<p>On Monday, news broke that beloved Kiwi actor Sir Sam Neill had died at the age of 78, after his family issued a statement online.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2016, he spoke to Real Life with John Cowan on Newstalk ZB after the release of the iconic Kiwi film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Neill spoke to Cowan about overcoming a childhood stutter, his love for Otago, what inspired his move into winemaking, and a key mentor who helped build his acting career.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>LISTEN ABOVE</strong></p>

John Cowan hosts ‘Real Life’, a weekly nationwide chat show on Newstalk ZB featuring a different high-profile guest every week. John talks with them about their life, their upbringing, their passions and their view of the world.

Real Life With John Cowan

From the Archives: The late Sir Sam Neill in 2016 on his childhood stutter, winemaking, and mentors

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/cc6bfd07-89a1-474c-96e4-b48700515235/transcript

Sarah is an award-winning blogger and professional gardening writer based in Waiuku. She is the author of the bestselling gardening books such as, The Good Life: Four Seasons in my Country Garden, branded by Yates and published by Harper Collins in 2013. Also author of Play in the Garden, published by New Holland Publishing, and rated by The Listener Magazine as one of the 'top fifty children's books of 2014’. Her latest publication is Growing Vegetables: A Simple Guide for New Zealand Gardeners.Sarah is a regular gardening contributor for the NZ Herald, Yates Brand Ambassador, motivator and moderator of The Yates Vegie Growing Challenge, and has featured on various TV shows including Seven Sharp, Get Growing and Cook the Books. Sarah is a passionate home gardener, growing all the vegetables for the family on a rural lifestyle block.

<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-inline: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI Historic', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Sarah is an award-winning blogger and professional gardening writer based in Waiuku. She is the author of the bestselling gardening books such as, The Good Life: Four Seasons in my Country Garden, branded by Yates and published by Harper Collins in 2013. Also author of Play in the Garden, published by New Holland Publishing, and rated by The Listener Magazine as one of the 'top fifty children's books of 2014’. Her latest publication is Growing Vegetables: A Simple Guide for New Zealand Gardeners.</div>
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<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-inline: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI Historic', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Sarah is a regular gardening contributor for the NZ Herald, Yates Brand Ambassador, motivator and moderator of The Yates Vegie Growing Challenge, and has featured on various TV shows including Seven Sharp, Get Growing and Cook the Books. Sarah is a passionate home gardener, growing all the vegetables for the family on a rural lifestyle block.</div>
</div>

Sarah O'Neil - Gardener

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2908f743-2cf3-4674-800e-b4a8008495d3/transcript

Marama Davidson is the Co-leader of the Green Party and a List MP based in South Auckland. Born in Auckland, she spent her childhood living in several parts of Aotearoa before settling in Whirinaki in Hokianga, where she developed a strong connection to her Māori heritage. Of Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tahinga descent, she was raised in a family of Māori activists and remains committed to improving outcomes for communities, particularly for Māori, by working alongside grassroots leaders.Before entering Parliament, Marama spent 10 years at the Human Rights Commission and served as Chief Panelist for the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, shaping her focus on preventing family and sexual violence. She later became New Zealand's first Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and also served as Associate Minister for Housing with responsibility for addressing homelessness, including a focus on young people experiencing homelessness. A long-time Manurewa resident, Marama and her husband have six children and two mokopuna. She continues to advocate for social and environmental justice, drawing inspiration from her whānau and her belief that the wellbeing of communities depends on the wellbeing of the natural world.

<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-inline: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI Historic', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Marama Davidson is the Co-leader of the Green Party and a List MP based in South Auckland. Born in Auckland, she spent her childhood living in several parts of Aotearoa before settling in Whirinaki in Hokianga, where she developed a strong connection to her Māori heritage. Of Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tahinga descent, she was raised in a family of Māori activists and remains committed to improving outcomes for communities, particularly for Māori, by working alongside grassroots leaders.</div>
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<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-inline: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI Historic', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Before entering Parliament, Marama spent 10 years at the Human Rights Commission and served as Chief Panelist for the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, shaping her focus on preventing family and sexual violence. She later became New Zealand's first Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and also served as Associate Minister for Housing with responsibility for addressing homelessness, including a focus on young people experiencing homelessness. A long-time Manurewa resident, Marama and her husband have six children and two mokopuna. She continues to advocate for social and environmental justice, drawing inspiration from her whānau and her belief that the wellbeing of communities depends on the wellbeing of the natural world.</div>
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Hon Marama Davidson - Co-leader of the Green Party

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f84db190-d5a7-42d2-8ee9-b49a00898608/transcript

Former McGillicuddy Serious leader Graeme Cairns now divides his time between penny farthings, medical training and street theatre, and his latest endeavour, "doing pennants," features a bicycle-powered sewing machine.

Graeme founded the McGillicuddy Serious Party - to contest the 1984 election with its campaign plank of the Great Leap Backwards.

It predicted upheaval, chaos and the breakdown of society as we know it and a plan to insulate New Zealand from the worst excesses of the future. 

Despite a defence policy of removing New Zealand from all world maps, its political ambitions came to nought, and Graeme threw in the towel in 2000.

Now known as the ‘Laird of Hamilton’, he is also a musician, a founding member of the Big Muffin Serious Band and an actor.

<p>Former McGillicuddy Serious leader Graeme Cairns now divides his time between penny farthings, medical training and street theatre, and his latest endeavour, "doing pennants," features a bicycle-powered sewing machine.</p>
<p>Graeme founded the McGillicuddy Serious Party - to contest the 1984 election with its campaign plank of the Great Leap Backwards.</p>
<p>It predicted upheaval, chaos and the breakdown of society as we know it and a plan to insulate New Zealand from the worst excesses of the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite a defence policy of removing New Zealand from all world maps, its political ambitions came to nought, and Graeme threw in the towel in 2000.</p>
<p>Now known as the ‘Laird of Hamilton’, he is also a musician, a founding member of the Big Muffin Serious Band and an actor.</p>

Graeme Cairns - Former McGillicuddy Serious Party leader

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/cbae81c0-e8d5-4e54-ab5c-b4940188cefe/transcript

From the Archives: The late Sir Sam Neill in 2016 on his childhood stutter, winemaking, and mentors

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