Summary

Sam Neill shines in Apples Never Fall as the complex and potentially dangerous character Stan, with underlying vulnerability and ferocious love for his family.
Neill loved working with Annette Bening and heaps praise upon her, rooting for her at the 96th Academy Awards for her performance in
Nyad
.
The ensemble cast, including Alison Brie and Jake Lacy, also deliver exceptional performances in this Peacock series dropping on March 14, 2024.

Sam Neill is such a legend that it’s almost intimidating. From taking part in arthouse masterpieces like Possession and Until the End of the World, to dominating the box office with blockbusters like The Hunt for Red October and Jurassic Park, Neill has tackled just about everything and come out on top. That status as an icon helps his persona as a respected elitist in Apples Never Fall, as it does the great Annette Bening. They play Stan and Joy Delaney in the new Peacock series based on the Liane Moriarty book; they have established a husband-and-wife tennis empire with their top-tier academy. When we meet them, they have retired and sold the business after none of their children chose to inherit it. And then Joy goes missing.

Apples Never Fall also stars Alison Brie, Jake Lacy, Essie Randles, Georgia Flood, and Conor Merrigan Turner, giving it one of the best ensemble casts of the year. Neill spoke with MovieWeb about the series (you can watch that video interview above), agreeing that it was a very special cast and remarking on the chemistry they all developed together as a family. But it was Annette Bening, recently Oscar-nominated for Nyad, who was a special treat to work with — this is the first time they’ve acted together. Neill praised Bening:

“She’s so compelling to watch, and she’s compelling to work with. I’ve admired her for 30, 40 years. I don’t know how long it is. So to get the chance to work with Annette was one of my main reasons to come on board. And it was a very warm relationship. I’m very fond of her, and every day was a pleasure to go to work with Annette, as it was with the rest of the cast. We were very close and we remain close.”

3:03 Related Alison Brie Describes Her and Danny Pudi’s Special Friendship and How They Hang Brie stars in the new series Apples Never Fall, and took time to discuss her friendship with Community co-star Danny Pudi.

We spoke with Neill and the rest of the Apples Never Fall cast a week or so before the 96th Academy Awards, and everyone was extremely supportive of Bening despite it being an extremely competitive race this year for Best Actress. “Yes, I’m hoping that she wins, and she deserves it,” said Neill. “Look at the work that went into it. As always, she’s playing a complex, interesting character.”

Sam Neill Plays the Suspicious Patriarch in Apples Never Fall
Apples Never Fall Release Date March 14, 2024 Seasons 1 Studio Heyday Television, Universal International Studios Characters By Liane Moriarty

Sam Neill’s performance in Apples Never Fall is a complicated one, a bitter man coming to terms with the process of aging and retirement, a man who finds a glimmer of sunshine in a mysterious new stranger sho shows up in the Delaneys’ life (played by Georgia Flood). We asked him how he created a complex and multidimensional character who is also an obvious suspect.

He’s a suspect from the beginning. We know as the story unfolds that Stan is capable of anything, but that sort of extraordinary desire to dominate everything makes you potentially dangerous. But that’s the string — is what has happened something to do with Stan? Time will tell. The next episode that you haven’t been given yet is called “Stan,” so we’ll learn something.

Neill’s ultimate diagnosis of the character? “There’s a certain amount of damage to Stan. But on the other hand, he loves his family with great ferocity. Probably a little more ferocity than is called for. He’s an alarming character. He’s also extremely vulnerable and can be quite funny. Ridiculously funny. That complexity was a lot of fun to play with.”

You can see everything unfold on Peacock when all seven episodes of Apples Never Fall drop on March 14, 2024. You can find a link to the series and watch a trailer below:

Watch on Peacock