Beloved actor Sam Neill, best known for starring in Jurassic Park, has died aged 78.
His ‘unexpected’ death comes just months after he shared he was ‘cancer-free’ following his blood cancer diagnosis in 2022.
‘It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday, 13th July, in Sydney, Australia,’ a statement from his family read on social media this morning.
‘Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.’
They did not confirm how he died but added: ‘The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.’
His loved ones went on to express their ‘deepest gratitude’ to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, who offered Neill ‘incredible care’.
‘More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.’
Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, four years ago, and publicly shared his diagnosis in March 2023 as he took a break from acting.
It came after he noticed his glands were swelling while promoting Jurassic World Dominion, which urged him to get checked out.
In April this year, he announced he was cancer-free and was returning to work.
Speaking to Australian broadcaster 7News, he had recalled how close to death he came after his chemotherapy stopped working.
Advocating for a CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial, which focused on his type of lymphoma, he praised the advanced, costly treatment for saving his life.
Relieved to be in remission, Neill said frankly that ‘if this had happened to [him] 20 years ago, [he] wouldn’t be around’.
He told the network: ‘I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body; that’s an extraordinary thing.
‘I’m very, very excited that this can happen.’
He quipped: ‘It’s time I did another movie.’
The Golden Globe nominee previously admitted to The Herald Sun that his experiences with chemo were ‘a bit grim’ due to the side effects.
‘But other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places,’ he added.
Neill had also been keen to reassure fans while he was in treatment. The Apples Never Fall star begged people not to worry about him, mere months after going public with his diagnosis.
And, addressing the worst, he told ABC’s Australian Story that he was not ‘in any way frightened of dying’.
‘That doesn’t worry me. It’s never worried me from the beginning, but I would be annoyed.
‘I’d be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.’
Full name Sir Nigel John Dermot ‘Sam’ Neill, he was born to an English mother and a New Zealand father in Northern Ireland.
Considered an ‘international leading man’, Neill was widely regarded as one of the most versatile screen stars of his generation, with his work highly decorated.
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His first recognised role was in Roger Donaldson’s 1977 action thriller Sleeping Dogs, after which he landed a string of leading parts in My Brilliant Career (1979), Attack Force Z (1982), Dead Calm (1989), Death in Brunswick (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Piano (1993), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), and Event Horizon (1997).
In 1993, his stardom soared to new heights when he debuted as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise. He reprised the role twice in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
More recently, he worked on Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both of which are now set to be released posthumously in 2027.
Beyond his film work, Neill made many TV appearances in both guest and recurring roles. He played Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders, featured in episodes of The Simpsons, The Tudors, The Twelve, and more.