EntertainmentPosted at: Jul 13 2026 4:24PM


'Jurassic Park' actor Sam Neill dies at 78

Wellington, July 13 (UNI) Veteran Hollywood actor Sam Neill, whose distinguished career spanned more than five decades and included unforgettable performances in "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano", has died at the age of 78.
"It is with immense sadness that the whānau [family] of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday, 13th July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," Neill's family said in [family] statement.
"The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss."
Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Neill was originally named Nigel Neill. His family moved to New Zealand when he was seven. He later adopted the name "Sam" because there were several students named Nigel at his school. His family settled in Dunedin, South Island, and he attended boarding school in Christchurch.
Neill gained recognition as a lead actor in the 1977 movie "Sleeping Dogs", the first New Zealand feature film in over a decade.
He gained international recognition in 1979 with the Gillian Armstrong-directed film "My Brilliant Career". He then played diverse roles in films such as "Dead Calm", "Sweet Revenge"", The Piano" and "Event Horizon".
He gained his most recognition for his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster film "Jurassic Park". He starred alongside Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough.
He did not star in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997), but returned to the role of Dr. Grant in "Jurassic Park III" (2001) and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022).
His autobiography, 'Did I Ever Tell You This?', was published in March 2023. He was also knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding contributions to film.
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