New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for his roles in the Jurassic Park movies, The Paino, In The Mouth Of Madness and Event Horizon, has died aged 78.
“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” Neill’s family said in a statement on social media.
“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.”
In 2023 Neill disclosed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, describing it as "a ferocious type of aggressive" non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In April of this year he revealed that he was cancer free after undergoing CAR-T cell (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to Neill, describing him as "one of the greats".
