Actor Sam Neill dies at 78, pneumonia cited as cause
Deadline reported that New Zealand actor Sam Neill died at age 78 in a Sydney hospital. NBC News and CBS News later confirmed the death, noting his fame from "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano. " The family described the passing as sudden and unexpected. A former co-star told NBC News that Neill had been suffering from pneumonia before his death, though the family had not disclosed a cause.
Fox News and Rolling Stone reported that pneumonia was the immediate cause, adding that he had been declared cancer-free weeks earlier after remission from stage-3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His agent, cited by the BBC, reiterated the pneumonia cause and noted the recent remission from lymphoma. Tributes from colleagues were noted by Ars Technica, which mentioned his long battle with blood cancer.
