Actor Sam Neill dies at 78
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for his role in the Jurassic Park franchise and a career spanning more than 150 productions, died in Sydney at age 78 after a battle with lymphoma.
Sam Neill, the New Zealand-born actor best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park series, died on Sunday in Sydney at the age of 78. The actor had been diagnosed with stage III angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and announced in April that he was in remission following CAR T-cell therapy.
His family posted on Instagram that he passed away surrounded by relatives and described his death as sudden but noted he remained cancer-free at the time. Neill had used his remission to promote the experimental therapy after conventional chemotherapy failed.
Neill’s career included roles in The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and numerous television series such as Peaky Blinders and The Tudors. He appeared in more than 150 films and TV productions and was knighted in New Zealand in 2022, having previously been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Neill “one of the country’s greatest cultural exports,” praising his five-decade contribution to bringing New Zealand stories to international audiences. Colleagues including Laura Dern, Cillian Murphy and Nicole Kidman issued tributes, highlighting his kindness, humor and mentorship.
Neill is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.