Sam Neill bittersweet final days have been revealed by sources close to the New Zealand star, with some suggesting he wanted to star in another film10:14, 14 Jul 2026Updated 10:14, 14 Jul 2026Sam Neill's final days before his death at age 78 have been revealed, with the actor saying he felt a 'new lease of life' after overcoming cancer.‌Sam Neill's death was announced by his family (or whanau in Māori) on Monday, with a statement that 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. 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.”The actor's death was particularly difficult for his family given his improved health in recent months. The star had overcome cancer in April and was in good health, meaning his family was totally blindsided by his death.‌A source told the Daily Mail : "Sam had been feeling great and looked healthier than he had in months after his battle with cancer."He was in a genuinely happy place, embracing life, staying busy with work, and reading scripts for future projects… Because of that, nobody saw this coming.The source added: "He felt as though he had been given a new lease on life and was determined to make the most of every opportunity, enjoying every moment that came his way."‌The actor is set to appear posthumously in two films. In 2027, The Last Resort, a Philippine romantic comedy film starring Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich, and Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, an upcoming American monster film starring Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Stevens, and Jack O'Connell.In April he announced on his social media: "Thanks to science I am cancer free. I don’t really like talking about me and cancer. Makes me uncomfortable. But here is the background to the above and the journey of how I arrived here."I had been on chemotherapy for some years , but the chemo for my particular lymphoma was starting to not work anymore."‌He revealed he recovered because of a clinical trial for a new type of CAR-T therapy, and became advocating for this therapy to become widely available across New Zealand and Australia.In the months following this announcement, the actor shared various videos showing his active and busy lifestyle, attending gigs performed by his former Jurassic Park co-star Jeff Goldblum, collecting honey in a beekeeper suit, feeding birds, singing to cows, and attending the Sydney Film Festival premiere of The Fox.Article continues belowJust over four weeks ago he shared images of himself at an awards night with several star guests including Jacinta Ardern, the former Prime Minister for New Zealand. And on June 22 he announced he was "very happy" to receive a silver logie ( Australian TV Awards) nomination.His family has not announced his cause of death, and have asked for privacy at this difficult time. He is remembered by his four children and eight grandchildren.