As the world mourns his passing, Sam Niell’s Possession co-star Isabelle Adjani speaks out about the late actor.
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In her latest Instagram post, the French actress had nothing but praise for Neill.
“In memory of Sam Neill, my generous co-star in Possession, for his kindness and understated elegance,” she wrote, translated from French. “Here are a few photos from the set of Zulawski’s film, and a beautiful memory from the Cannes Film Festival where I went on his arm to present the cult classic that Possession has become.”
She then shared, “So sad… I truly thought I would see him again someday soon.”
According to IMDb, Possession follows a woman who starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. “Suspicion of infedility soon gives way to something much more sinister.”
Adjani starred opposite Neill, who played her husband in the film. She won the Best Actress award at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film.
Adjani Once Spoke About the ‘Great Violence’ Her and Neill’s Film Had
During a 2023 interview with Interview magazine, Adjani opened up about the “great violence” in her and Neill’s film.
“I remember — if you’ll allow me to offer a comparison from my own career and some situations with [the director] Andrzej Żuławski — there was something of great violence that I agreed to take on,” she explained. “But I’ve realized over the years that it’s something I could never accept again, and it’s part of everything that my subconscious has been swallowing and incubating. I wonder if acting has been a bit unhealthy during certain periods of my life, no?”
She further explained that she considered her a “survivor” for several reasons.
“What’s beautiful is to make a place within yourself for a character, without that character turning into a negative entity,” she pointed out. “But sometimes your life gets blown apart like that. Great actresses have been devoured from the inside. It’s a kind of self-cannibalism. It’s not a job that facilitates a happy frame of mind, quite the opposite. That’s why it’s important to be surrounded by friends who can be angels, but also conscientious objectors. Otherwise, you can lose yourself.”