Entertainment13 July, 20262 min read
Sam Neill Dies At 78 In Sydney, Australia, Family Says
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Sam Neill died in Sydney, Australia, at age 78. Family announced the death in an Instagram post.
Neill dies at 78
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” movies, died at 78 in Sydney, Australia, his family said.
In a statement posted to his social media page, the family said his death was “sudden and unexpected” and added that he “remained cancer free” when he died.
WBUR reported that Neill had disclosed in 2023 that he was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The Los Angeles Times said Neill announced in April that he was cancer-free after five years of living with cancer, and it also reported that his family had not disclosed a cause of death.
Family statement and tributes
Neill’s family wrote on Instagram that “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,” and they said “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.” The Hollywood Reporter said Neill’s official Instagram account posted a statement that included “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Neill one of the country’s “greatest cultural exports,” writing that “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.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill had “earned a special place in Australian hearts,” praising him as “Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic” who fought illness “with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.”
Cancer-free, then legacy
Multiple outlets tied Neill’s final months to his cancer status, with WBUR saying his death statement described him as “sudden and unexpected” and “remained cancer free,” while the Los Angeles Times said he died “just a few months after announcing he was cancer-free.”
“I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.”
The Washington Post reported that Neill was diagnosed in spring 2022 with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and that in April he announced he was cancer-free after a clinical trial of a new therapy.
NBC News said Neill died in Sydney, Australia, after announcing in April that he was cancer-free following several years of treatment for blood cancer, and it noted he was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, on Sept. 14, 1947.
The Hollywood Reporter quoted Steven Spielberg’s tribute, saying “I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him,” and it also said “Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family, and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”