Renowned actor Sam Neill from New Zealand, best known for his roles in ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Peaky Blinders,’ passed away on Monday in Sydney, Australia at the age of 78, according to his family.
“With great sadness, the whānau of Sam Neill announce his death,” stated a message shared on the actor’s Instagram, which incorporates the Māori term for extended family or community.
“The loss was sudden and unforeseen, yet we are grateful that Sam was free from cancer,” the message added.
Neill had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive blood cancer but announced in April that he was cancer-free.
“Sam was with family and passed away with the dignity that defined his entire life,” the family stated. “We wish to convey our heartfelt thanks to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their exceptional care.”
“Further details will follow, but for now, we ask for privacy as we cope with this profound loss on behalf of the family.”
The celebrated performer appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his extensive career of over fifty years, including the Academy Award-winning film “The Piano,” but he is best recognized for his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.”
“It’s been a very joyful and unexpected life,” Neill shared with USdaily in 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the film’s debut.
“I never anticipated a career in films, let alone as an actor. But it just happened, and I’m as surprised as anyone.”
Laura Dern, who appeared alongside Neill in “Jurassic Park,” referred to him as a “cherished lifelong friend” and “a true noble gentleman, embodying my dream leading man” in a statement released on Monday. “I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant,” Dern remarked.
Fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban expressed that Neill was “an inspiration to many who followed in his groundbreaking footsteps. A wonderful person, a national treasure who contributed immensely to New Zealand and the world.”
‘Not afraid of it’
Neill was born in Northern Ireland and moved to New Zealand’s South Island at the age of seven. Throughout his career, he received numerous honors, including being named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991 and receiving a knighthood from New Zealand in 2022.
When he received the Screen Legend Award at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards, he humorously accepted the accolade with his trademark modesty:
“If you stay around long enough, you probably qualify, and I’ve just been hanging around.”
Neill enjoyed a fulfilling life beyond Hollywood, primarily spending time at his expansive farm in New Zealand. He was well-known for naming his farm animals after Hollywood stars, many of which became unintentional celebrities on Neill’s social media accounts.
“I enjoy naming as many of my animals as possible after my friends,” he mentioned to Vulture in 2019. “It doesn’t always end well. Recently, Meryl Streep was killed by a ferret. I found her in a pile of feathers one day.”
A dedicated environmentalist, he released a short documentary in early 2026 against a planned fast-track industrial goldmine in New Zealand’s Central Otago region.
It was within the picturesque rolling hills of Otago that he established his organic winery, Two Paddocks, in 1993, aiming to produce an exceptional pinot noir for his friends and family to enjoy.
“Honestly, my friends will drink just about anything, so this didn’t seem that difficult,” Neill commented, according to the Two Paddocks website.
In 2023, he disclosed that he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and had undergone chemotherapy.
He penned his memoir, ‘Did I Ever Tell You This?’ in just a few months while undergoing treatment in 2022.
During a 2024 interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he expressed that he wasn’t afraid of death but found it “very annoying.”
“I’m not in any way scared of dying,” Neill stated. “I’d be frustrated because there are still things I wish to accomplish. Dying is quite irritating, but it doesn’t frighten me.”
Neill humorously characterized his family life as “somewhat chaotic” due to his global acting commitments.
He was a father to four children: Tim, his son with ex-wife Lisa Harrow; Elena, his daughter with ex-wife Noriko Watanabe; Maiko, Watanabe’s daughter from a previous marriage whom Neill adopted; and Andrew, who was adopted by other parents but later reunited with him; along with several grandchildren.
USdaily’s Hilary Whiteman and Todd Symons contributed reporting.
