Sam Neill WHY I GAVE ITALL UP

Far away from the bright lights of Hollywood, the actor has carved out a little patch of paradise

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When Sam Neill returns home after a long stint of filming, he can be assured of a sweet reunion. But these days it's with the menagerie of beloved animals he's collected at his Two Paddocks winery and farm nestled in Central Otago, on New Zealand's South Island.

"So pleased to finally be home with all the Two Paddocks cru," the 74-year-old star gushed on social media on April 2. After spending more than four months in Sydney filming his upcoming Foxtel courtroom drama The Twelve, Sam said he was "thrilled to get back to my pig, my sheep and my grapes". He also joked he's “not too lonely" back home in the country, thanks to all the wildlife who drop in for a visit at the picturesque property.

The father-of-two and grandfather, who has two marriages behind him and split quietly from his latest love, ABC presenter Laura Tingle, 61, last year, finds great comfort in the company of his animals - which include pigs, chickens, sheep and goats.

The actor has a wide array of animal friends - and they're always happy to join in for a group hug.