SYDNEY, Australia – Jurassic Park star Sam Neill (78) has died in Sydney, just months after declaring himself cancer-free following treatment for stage-three lymphoma.

The New Zealand actor passed away on Monday at St Vincent’s Private Hospital surrounded by family, in what relatives described as a “sudden and unexpected” loss.

“It is with immense sadness that the whanau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney Australia,” the family statement read, using the New Zealand Maori word for family. “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.”

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”

New Zealand actor Rima Te Wiata, who starred opposite Neill in the widely acclaimed 2016 local comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, said her friend had battled pneumonia before his unexpected death and would be “annoyed” by his death after beating cancer.

“It really sucks, actually,” she told the New Zealand Herald. “I think he would be like: ‘For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?’.”

Cancer battle and recovery

Neill revealed in a 2023 memoir he was “possibly dying” with stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In the opening chapter, written whilst undergoing chemotherapy, he said: “The thing is, I’m crook. Possibly dying. I may have to speed this up.”

However, he declared himself cancer-free earlier this year thanks to a genetic therapy that modified his immune system.

“I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal, obviously,” he told Australia’s Channel Seven News. “I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body – that’s an extraordinary thing.”

Political and industry tributes

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Neill was “one of the greats”.

“For more than 50 years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports,” Luxon said in a statement. “His work will be watched and loved long after all of us.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill held a “special place in Australian hearts”.

“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance,” Albanese said. “He will be much mourned and long remembered.”

Director Steven Spielberg led Hollywood’s tributes to Neill, who endeared himself to fans with a modest style that belied his fame.

“I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him,” said the Jurassic Park filmmaker. “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.”

Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern said Neill was a “true and noble gentleman”, whilst Jeff Goldblum said Neill’s “next great adventure begins”.

Nicole Kidman, who acted alongside Neill in the 1989 Australian thriller Dead Calm, said “Sam was one of the greats”.

Cillian Murphy, who worked with Neill on the hit television series Peaky Blinders, said he “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.”

Fellow Kiwi actor Karl Urban said “Sam was truly brilliant”, whilst Australian actor David Wenham said Neill was “the kindest, cheekiest, most generous and supportive friend going around”.

Breakthrough and distinguished career

Neill’s breakthrough as a leading man came in 1993 when he played palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic Park, which for a period was the highest-grossing film ever made. He reprised the role in 2001’s Jurassic Park III and returned to the franchise in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, reuniting with original cast members Dern and Goldblum.

Beyond the dinosaur franchise, Neill built an impressive filmography spanning five decades. His performance in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning 1993 film The Piano drew wide acclaim, as did his role in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

He starred in the Cold War thriller The Hunt for Red October (1990), appeared alongside Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark (1988), and featured in the 2000 Australian comedy The Dish. On television, he portrayed Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the historical drama The Tudors and detective Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders.

His earlier work included memorable performances in the psychological thriller Possession (1981) and the 1989 Australian thriller Dead Calm, which helped launch Nicole Kidman’s international career.

In a career spanning dozens of roles across television and film, Neill greatly endeared himself to New Zealanders by lending his star power to local productions as well.

From Nigel to Sam

Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Northern Ireland in 1947 but moved to the rugged South Island of New Zealand as a child. He ditched his given name in favour of “Sam” because he feared it was too “effete” for New Zealand.

“I encouraged the nickname because I thought I’d be slightly less likely to be victimised,” he told New Zealand’s Otago Daily Times. “I clung on to ‘Sam’ with great enthusiasm.”

He started acting in New Zealand films in the early 1970s before moving into larger roles in Australia.

At one point Neill was even touted as a replacement for Roger Moore in the iconic role of James Bond. “I really did not want that part,” he said in 2023. “My friend Pierce Brosnan wanted it so much. I was so relieved they offered it to someone else. They’re welcome to it.”

When he was not acting, Neill also ran vineyards in the picturesque Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island. He named farm animals on the property after his co-stars, including a chicken named after Laura Dern and a cow named for Helena Bonham Carter.