Sam Neill, the acclaimed New Zealand actor best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, died from pneumonia, his long-time agent confirmed. The 78-year-old passed away on Monday in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by family.
Agent Clarifies Cause of Death
Philip Grenz, Neill's agent, issued a statement addressing inaccuracies in media reports. "Since Sam Neill's passing, several stories have appeared in the media which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods," Grenz said. "Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy."
Neill had announced in 2023 that he was cancer-free after treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he described as a "ferocious" and aggressive form of the disease.
Final Projects and Private Memorial
Grenz noted that Neill had been active in the year before his death. "In addition to running his award-winning winery, Two Paddocks, Sam had filmed four projects back-to-back during the past year, all of which will be released within the coming months," he said. The actor's family will hold a private memorial at his farm in New Zealand's Central Otago region at a later date, honoring his wish for privacy.
Neill established Two Paddocks winery in 1993, located next to the property of his friend, director Roger Donaldson.
Tributes from Co-Stars and Industry
Cillian Murphy, who starred with Neill in Peaky Blinders, paid tribute: "Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors… RIP."
Jurassic Park co-stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum also honoured him. 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 added: "The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever."
Career Highlights
Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, to an English mother and New Zealand father, Neill gained early attention for his role in the 1977 thriller Sleeping Dogs. His breakthrough came in 1993's Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg, a role he reprised in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). He also earned acclaim for his performance in Jane Campion's The Piano (1993), the Sean Connery thriller The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016).
Neill's family requested donations to the Dunstan Hospital Foundation in New Zealand, the Snowdome Foundation (blood cancer research), or groups protecting New Zealand's flora and fauna in lieu of flowers.
