Sam Neill, the Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, died on Monday at the age of 78 in Sydney, Australia. According to his former co-star Rima Te Wiata, Neill had been battling pneumonia prior to his death.
Pneumonia Diagnosis and Cancer Recovery
Te Wiata, who starred alongside Neill in Taika Waititi's 2016 comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, told the NZ Herald that Neill had a bout of pneumonia before his passing. She said: “It really sucks. I’m sure, as he said in the press once, he’s not scared of death, but he would be annoyed. He would be like, ‘Oh, for goodness sake! I got over my cancer, and now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?’ But he’s on his big journey now.”
Neill’s death came months after he announced he was cancer-free following treatment for a “ferocious” and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he revealed three years earlier.
Tributes from Jurassic Park Co-Stars
Joseph Mazzello, who played Tim Murphy in the 1993 original Jurassic Park, described Neill’s death as a “gut punch” in an emotional Instagram video. He said: “I had been following his cancer diagnosis and his recovery and was so happy and thankful when I found out he was cancer-free, so this just comes I think as an extra gut punch, because I thought he was through it – but that is life, isn’t it?” Mazzello added that Neill was “the best of us” and that he would miss him.
Ariana Clarice Richards, who played Lex Murphy, also shared a tribute, calling Neill a “mentor, protector, and above all, friend.” She said: “Sam – you were more than just a lovely actor to work with – refined, thoughtful, a skill second to none – you were a mentor, protector, and above all, friend. Thank you for making our scenes together feel so real. I will be forever grateful to have been on this journey with you.”
More Tributes from Co-Stars and Director
Bryce Dallas Howard, who co-starred with Neill in Jurassic World Dominion (2022), described him as “funny, warm, wickedly self-deprecating, endlessly kind.” She said: “Sam had an immense passion for life. Generous with his wine, his stories, his time. One of the most unassumingly attractive and magnetic people I’ve ever met. One of the greats, in every sense.”
Chris Pratt, who played Owen Grady in the Jurassic World films, said: “So devastated to hear the news of Sam’s passing. It was a privilege getting to work with him. All the laughs and memories. I’ll cherish forever. He is a true legend. Keeping his family in my prayers.”
Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, Neill’s Jurassic Park co-stars, also paid tribute. Dern said: “Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness, and love, always with the driest of wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr Alan Grant.” Goldblum said: “The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever.”
Director Steven Spielberg, who helmed the original Jurassic Park, said in a statement he “adored” making movies with Neill. “Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family, and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world,” he said.
Family Statement and Legacy
Announcing Neill’s death, his family said he died “surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.” They added: “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.”
Neill was also known for his role as Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders, opposite Cillian Murphy. He reprised his role as Alan Grant in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
