New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for his role as Dr Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, has died in Australia at the age of 78.
His family announced his death in a statement on Monday, describing it as “sudden and unexpected.”
The statement read: “It is with immense sadness that the whanau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney, Australia.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.”
The family did not disclose the cause of death but said Neill had been receiving treatment at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney.
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement added.
Neill had undergone treatment for stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma in recent years and announced earlier this year that he was cancer-free after receiving genetic therapy that modified his immune system.
In his 2023 memoir, written while undergoing chemotherapy, he reflected on his illness, writing: “The thing is, I’m crook. Possibly dying. I may have to speed this up.”
Earlier this year, he told Australia’s Channel Seven News his health had dramatically improved.
He said: “I was at a loss, and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal, obviously.
“I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body — that’s an extraordinary thing.”
Tributes poured in following news of his death.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as “one of the greats.”
“For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today — one of our greatest cultural exports,” Luxon said.
“His work will be watched and loved long after all of us.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill held a “special place in Australian hearts.”
“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.
“He will be much mourned and long remembered,” Albanese said.
Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Neill moved to New Zealand as a child and built a career spanning more than five decades.
He rose to international prominence in 1993 after starring as Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster “Jurassic Park” and later reprised the role in two sequels.
His extensive film and television career also included roles in “Peaky Blinders”, “The Hunt for Red October”, Jane Campion’s “The Piano” and Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”.
Away from acting, Neill owned vineyards in New Zealand’s Central Otago region, where he spent much of his time when not working on film productions.
