Sam Neill, the New Zealand-born actor, starred in Jurassic Parkand Peaky Blinders has passed away at the age of 78.
Sharing the news in an Instagram post on Monday, July 13, Neill’s family wrote: “It is with immense sadness that Whanau of Sam Neill shares the news of his passing on Monday, July 13 in Sydney Australia.”
However, the family did not reveal the cause of his death and the news comes just after Neill revealed he was in remission.
The family asked for privacy at this difficult time, saying, “More details will be shared later, but for now, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immense loss.”
Neill was widely recognized for starring as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park series.
He battled stage three cancer of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma after his diagnosis in 2022.
Who was Sam Neill?
Neill was born in 1947 in Omagh, a county town in Northern Ireland.
His mother was an English woman, while his father, who came from New Zealand and also served in the British Army, gave him the name Nigel John Dermot Neill.
Neill’s family moved to New Zealand in 1954
He first came to prominence with My Brilliant Career before starring in films including Omen III: The Final Conflict, Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October and the Oscar-winning drama directed by Jane Campion, The Piano.
Neill rose to global stardom after starring as Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in 1993 and returned to the role in JJurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the late actor in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
He wrote: “Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and earned a special place in Australian hearts.
“Angry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to any achievement. He will be greatly mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.”
