Inside Sam Neill's movie-worthy love life as Jurassic Park actor dies aged 7818:17, 13 Jul 2026Sam Neill may be best known for his efforts in front of the camera, but his life off screen was just as movie worthy. His family confirmed the sad news of his death earlier today at the age of 78, which came just months after he announced that he was cancer-free, following a long illness.‌The New Zealand actor made a name for himself thanks to roles including Jurassic Park, the Jungle Book and Wimbledon - and it was on the set of his flick, The Omen III: Final Conflict, that he fell in love with his co-star.‌In the 1981 horror sequel, he played Damien Thorn beside Lisa Harrow as Kate Reynolds, and the leads soon began dating, before going on to welcome son Tim Neill together - Tim quickly followed his famous parents into Hollywood, and works as a film technician and lighting specialist.‌According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Sam made a rare comment about his romance with Lisa, which lasted more than a decade, in 2023. He said at the time: “We were together for 11 years. The best thing about that relationship was having our son, Tim.”He then moved on with make-up artist Noriko Watanabe, who he marred in 1989 - after they met on the set of Dead Calm in 1987, which he starred in alongside Nicole Kidman.‌Two years into their marriage, they introduced daughter Elena Neill together - while Sam also adopted Noriko’s daughter, Maiko, from a previous relationship.During their romance, the Escape Plan actor reconnected with son Andrew, who he had put up for adoption when he was in his twenties. They reunited in 1994, and forged a close bond.However, his marriage to Noriko wasn’t to last and they went their separate ways in 2017. The following year, he started dating journalist Laura Tingle through mutual friends, and they enjoyed a three-year relationship.‌Touching on their split in a chat with the Sydney Morning Herald, he later recalled: “I had three wonderful years with Laura Tingle, and I am so grateful for that.“I am a solitary single man now, and I wonder if that's a personal failing or just bad luck. I am past my use-by date and would not marry again.‌“These days I'm lucky if I go on the odd date. That suits me well, but it's also a bit lonely. There were times last year that I could have done with a bit of companionship to see me through my blood-cancer treatment.”Sam was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2022.In April of this year, he shared the news that he was officially cancer free, three years after revealing that he was battling the “ferocious” and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.‌His loved ones announced his death in a heartfelt statement, which read: “It is with immense sadness that the whanau 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.Article continues below“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.”Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .