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Sam Neill died from pneumonia at the age of 78, his longtime representative has confirmed.
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The actor was cancer-free at the time of his death after overcoming a rare blood cancer through CAR-T cell therapy.
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His family will hold a private memorial in New Zealand and has asked fans to support charities he cared about instead of sending flowers.
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Hollywood stars, including Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin, have paid tribute to the beloved actor.
The cause of death of the veteran New Zealand actor, Sam Neill, has been confirmed as pneumonia, days after his sudden passing at the age of 78.
July 16, (THEWILL) — Neill’s longtime representative, Philip Grenz, said the Jurassic Park star died on Monday, July 13, at a Sydney hospital after developing pneumonia.
He released the statement after speaking with Neill’s family to address what he described as “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods” in some media reports.
Grenz confirmed that Neill was cancer-free at the time of his death. The actor had previously battled stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer, and successfully overcame the illness through CAR-T cell therapy.
According to Neill’s former partner, Australian journalist Laura Tingle, years of chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments weakened his immune system, making it harder for his body to fight serious infections.
Despite his health struggles, Neill remained active in his final months. Grenz said the actor completed four film and television projects over the past year while also running his award-winning New Zealand winery, Two Paddocks.
Some of the projects are expected to be released after his death.
Neill’s family plans to honour him with a private memorial at his farm in New Zealand. They have also encouraged fans to make donations to charities he supported, including the Snowdome Foundation, the Dunstan Hospital Foundation, and organisations protecting New Zealand’s environment and wildlife.
Best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, Neill enjoyed a career spanning more than five decades, with over 150 film and television credits. His other notable works include “The Piano”, “Peaky Blinders”, “The Hunt for Red October”, “Dead Calm” and “Event Horizon”.
He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
Tributes
Tributes have continued to pour in from across the entertainment industry, with friends and colleagues remembering Neill as a talented actor and a kind-hearted person.
His Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern described him as her “beloved lifetime friend,” saying: “He was a true and noble gentleman… I will love you forever, Dr Alan Grant.”
Jeff Goldblum, who starred alongside Neill in the Jurassic Park franchise, shared a nostalgic photo of the original cast and wrote: “The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever.”
Australian actress Nicole Kidman, who worked with Neill in Dead Calm, remembered him as “one of the greats” and praised his kindness, humour and generosity.
Actor Alec Baldwin, Neill’s co-star in “The Hunt for Red October”, described him as one of the kindest and warmest people he had ever worked with.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
