Sam Neill has died at the age of 78 just months after he revealed he was ‘cancer-free’ following a long battle with a type of blood cancer.
The New Zealand actor – who starred in blockbusters such as Jurassic Park and The Piano – died in hospital in Sydney on Monday.
Family described his death as ‘sudden and unexpected’ in a statement published to his Instagram page.
It is with immense sadness that the whānau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,’ they said.
‘The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
‘More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.’
Sam Neill has died at the age of 78 after revealing he was ‘cancer-free’ just months ago following his long battle with the disease
In April, Neill – who is best known for playing Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise – announced tests had found he was cancer-free.
In an interview with Channel Seven, Neill detailed how close he came to death after chemotherapy stopped working. It was instead a costly, cutting-edge treatment that then prolonged his life.
Neill said: ‘I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years and I was on chemotherapy and it’s a pretty miserable business, but it was keeping me alive.
‘Then the chemo stopped working. I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal obviously.’
Neill underwent a special treatment called CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s own T-cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells. Private treatment costs around $AUD540,000.
‘I’ve just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing. I’m very, very excited that this can happen,’ he said at the time.
The treatment is currently in clinical trials to treat another blood cancer, myeloma.
Neill also said he was planning to make a return to acting.
Neill’s final social media post, which was made on June 12, shows him posing alongside Aussie singer Kate Ceberano at the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame
‘It’s time I did another movie,’ he said.
Neill first went public with his cancer battle in 2023 having being diagnosed the previous year after initially experiencing swollen glands.
He found out about his stage-three blood cancer while he was promoting Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
In that film he reprised his role as Grant alongside original co-stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, as well as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
He told Australian Story at the time: ‘I’m not in any way frightened of dying. That doesn’t worry me. It’s never worried me from the beginning, but I would be annoyed.
‘I’d be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.’
‘We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big.’
Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland to an English mother and a New Zealander father, first disclosed the news of his illness in his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This, where he writes in the first chapter that he is ‘possibly dying’.
The New Zealand actor was best known for blockbusters such as Jurassic Park, in which he stars as the character Alan Grant
Neill appeared in the Jurassic Park franchise alongside co-star Laura Dern, playing roles they would reprise in the 2022 film Jurassic World Dominion
Reflecting on life at the time, the seasoned actor once again said that he did not fear death, admitting, ‘I’m not afraid to die. But it would annoy me. Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know?’
‘But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.’
Neill’s final social media post, made on June 12 this year, was one of celebration.
The actor attended the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame (ARIA) Hall of Fame ceremony and posed alongside a number of stars, including singers Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano and Vika and Linda Bull.
‘Great night in Sydney. Four women I have idolised for decades were honoured,’ he wrote in his caption.
‘Jenny was inducted into the Hall by no less than our former New Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern. Another hero.’
Following news of the celebrated actor’s death, social media was inundated with tributes.
‘This hits hard. Thanks for the memories, Sam. You’ve left behind an incredible body of work. Love to your family,’ wrote Australian radio host Ben Fordham.
Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Ireland and his family moving to New Zealand in 1954. Pictured in Cannes in 2008
Neill recently worked on Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both of which are now set to be released posthumously in 2027. Pictured in Peter Rabbit in 2018
On the small screen, Neill appeared in episodes of The Simpsons, Peaky Blinders, The Tudors and The Twelve (pictured on set for The Twelve in 2024)
‘This is shocking news. What a legend. Gentle genius. Vale Sam Neill,’ commented comedian Dave Hughes.
‘Sam! May you be resting peacefully,’ wrote Australian of the Year Grace Tame.
Meanwhile, former ABC journalist Virginia Trioli shared her disbelief with a simple, ‘Oh no.’
In recent years, Neill had been living far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and the glare of the cameras, tending to the grapes on his vineyard in the Central Otago region of New Zealand‘s South Island.
He opened Two Paddocks in 1993 and the winery quickly became renowned for its Pinot Noir – a lightly spiced, red wine.
While known for its Pinot, the label also has a reputation for producing high-quality Riesling.
The business started life as a simple five-acre planting, but expanded to encompass four vineyard sites.
Aside from his impressive vineyards, Neill owned the Redbank Farm, which housed a menagerie of animals.
Neill first went public about his cancer battle and treatment in 2023, having been diagnosed the previous year after initially experiencing swollen glands
One of Neill’s best-known roles in Australia, his adopted home, was as the scientist Mitch in historical comedy-drama cult classic The Dish
Neill shares a son, Tim, 42, with New Zealand actress Lisa Harrow, to whom he was married between 1980 and 1989.
The star was married to Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe from 1989 to 2017 and they share a daughter, Elena, 35. He also adopted Noriko’s daughter from her first marriage, Maiko.
Neill also had a son, Andrew, who was placed for adoption when the actor was in his early twenties.
The father and son found each other and reunited in 1994, with Andrew very much a part of the family in later years.
Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Ireland, with his family moving to New Zealand in 1954.
He went by the nickname Sam, dropping Nigel after deciding Sam was ‘less awkward’.
‘I found I moved more easily in the world as a Sam. Nigel is an awkward fit in most circumstances. Imagine being a movie actor called Nigel Neill,’ he said in 2014.
Neill starred in three Jurassic Park films including the original in 1993, Jurassic Park III in 2001 and Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
He became a household name after playing palaeontologist Alan Grant in 1993’s Jurassic Park alongside Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.
In recent years, Neill had been living far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, tending to the grapes on his vineyard in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island
The business started as a simple five-acre planting, but has expanded to four vineyard sites
He would reprise the role in Jurassic Park III in 2001, and again in Jurassic World Dominion just four years ago.
Neill recently worked on Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both of which are now set to be released posthumously in 2027.
On the small screen, he appeared in episodes of The Simpsons, Peaky Blinders, The Tudors and The Twelve.
One of Neill’s best-known roles in Australia, his adopted home, was as the scientist ‘Mitch’ in historical comedy-drama cult classic The Dish.
The film told the story of the crucial role of the Parkes Observatory in relaying the live feed of the Apollo 11 moon landing to the world, and features an iconic scene in which Neill played a game of cricket inside the Parkes Radio Telescope itself.
Neil Westcott, Mayor of Parkes, told the Daily Mail the news of Neill’s death came as ‘a shock’ and did not rule out the possibility of a brief cricket game inside the dish as a tribute to him.
