New Zealand actor Sam Neill, age 78, passed away Monday at a Sydney hospital after a sudden bout of pneumonia, his agent confirmed today.
Neill is best known as Dr A Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise and for his work in The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, and BBC’s Peaky Blinders.
Earlier this year his family announced he was in remission from non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, a condition he had battled for years before being treated successfully with CAR‑T therapy.
Despite the health challenges, Neill remained active, filming four projects over the past year that will be released in the coming months.
Agent Philip Grenz released the statement after consulting with Neill’s family and correcting “inaccurate and outright falsehoods” circulating throughout the media.
He stated: “Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick he fought and beat lymphoma through CAR‑T treatment.”
Neill will have a private memorial at his farm in New Zealand, a ceremony that will take place later this year once his loved ones have had time to mourn.
Tributes flooded from peers and the public. Laura Dern described him as a “beloved lifetime friend,” Toni Collette called him a “hero, legend, sweetheart,” and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hailed him as “one of the greats.”
He leaves behind four children and eight grandchildren.
