Neil is the father of actress Nicki Whitely. He started in musical theatre in Toronto productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, How to Suceed in Business Without Really Trying and Into the Woods. He then moved into film and television where he is known for his roles in feature films such as Red, Shimmer Lake and Repo Men and television series such as The Girlfriend Experience, Air Emergency, Bad Blood and Utopia Falls.