Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill dies aged 78

SYDNEY — Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who starred in ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Peaky Blinders,’ died Monday in Sydney, Australia at age 78, his family said.“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing,” said the statement posted to the actor’s Instagram page, using the Māori word for extended family or community.“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” the statement said.Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in New Zealand, died “surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life”, a statement said.“The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.”New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described him as “one of the greats”, while Australian actress Toni Collette wrote: “I love you, dear Sam. You hero. You legend. You sweetheart. Our great friend. You are already missed so very much.”Neill had battled a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer but revealed in April he was cancer free.The acclaimed actor starred in dozens of films and television series over his genre-spanning, five decade career, including the Oscar-winning film “The Piano,” but is most widely known for playing the iconic Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.”“It’s been a very happy, surprising life,” Neill told CNN in 2023, on the 30th anniversary of the movie’s release.“I never expected to have a career in film at all, or even as an actor. But it kind of happened, and no one’s more surprised than me.”Fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban said Neill was “an inspiration for many who followed in his trailblazing footsteps. A beautiful man, A national treasure who gave so much to New Zealand and the to world.”Neill was awarded many accolades throughout his career, including the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991 and a knighthood from New Zealand in 2022.When he was presented the Screen Legend Award at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards he accepted the honor with his characteristic self-deprecating charm:“If you stick around long enough, you probably, you know, qualify, and I’ve been just sort of sticking around.”Neill had a rich life outside of Hollywood, largely spent on his sprawling New Zealand farm. He famously named his farm animals after Hollywood icons, many of them becoming unwitting icons on Neill’s social media pages.“I love to name as many of my animals as possible after my friends,” he told Vulture in 2019. He was a passionate environmental activist, and in early 2026 released a short documentary opposing a proposed fast-track, industrial goldmine in New Zealand’s Central Otago region.In March 2023, Neill revealed he had been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.He later said the disease was in remission but he would require monthly chemotherapy for the rest of his life.In April 2026, Neill said a scan showed no cancer in his body, and his family’s statement on Monday said he “remained cancer free” at the time of his death.In his tribute, Luxon said: “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 – one of our greatest cultural exports.”Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern wrote that Neill was “such a thoughtful, curious, and decent person”.”We’ve lost another incredible kiwi, and I feel profoundly sad,” she added.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute, writing on X that he “starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts”.Australian pop superstar Kylie Minogue responded to the announcement of Neill’s death with “Vale [goodbye] Sam” alongside a broken heart emoji.British actor Richard E Grant wrote that he knew his fellow actor for three decades, saying Neill had “guided and helped me through a very difficult time in my life”, and describing him as “an officer and a gentleman in the truest sense”.Also paying tribute, Colin Trevorrow, who directed Neill in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, described him as “a deeply soulful and beautiful man”.”He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength,” he said.”I’ll remember him for his tranquillity, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters. It’s not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend.”Daisy Ridley, who is set to star alongside Neill in the not-yet-released film The Last Resort, posted a picture of herself with Neill on her Instagram story, alongside three broken heart emojis.Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947, he moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, with his family at the age of seven.He adopted the name Sam at the age of 12 because there were several Nigels at his school.He began acting while studying at the University of Canterbury and made his film debut in 1971’s The City of No. After a number of television and film roles in New Zealand, he gained wider recognition in the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs, one of the country’s first films to achieve international distribution.He later moved to Australia, where he starred in My Brilliant Career (1979), a film that helped establish him as a leading actor.Neill achieved global fame in 1993 through his performances in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning The Piano and as palaeontologist Dr Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park.He reprised the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), and voiced the character in three video games based on the series.Neill also found success on television, playing the sadistic, corrupt police officer Major Chester Campbell in the first two series of the BBC’s Peaky Blinders.Over a career spanning more than five decades, he amassed more than 150 screen credits.His last film appearance came in The Fox (2025) and his last TV appearance came in Netflix series Untamed (2025). He is expected to make posthumous appearances in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort in 2027.Neill jokingly described his family life as “somewhat haphazard” because of his international acting career.Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.