Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor whose six-decade career ranged from art cinema to studio franchise, died Monday in Sydney. He was 78. His family confirmed the death in a statement, calling it "sudden and unexpected" and noting he had "remained cancer free." The cause was not specified.
"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," his family wrote.
Born in Northern Ireland in 1947 and raised in New Zealand from age seven, Neill accumulated more than 150 screen credits. He became a household name as Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993), returning for Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). His range extended further: he appeared opposite Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark (1988) and Plenty (1985), starred alongside Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October (1990), and played opposite Holly Hunter in Jane Campion's Palme d'Or winner The Piano (1993). In 2016, Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople introduced him to a new generation.
In 2022, following Jurassic World: Dominion, Neill disclosed a diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. He documented the treatment in his 2023 memoir Did I Ever Tell You This? and announced his cancer-free status in April 2026.
Director Colin Trevorrow wrote: "Sam Neill was a deeply soulful and beautiful man. He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength." New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: "Sir Sam Neill was one of the greats. He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of. For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world." Toni Collette added: "You hero. You legend. You sweetheart. Our great friend. You are already missed so very much."
Neill was knighted in 2022 for his outstanding contribution to film. He also ran Two Paddocks, a winery in Central Otago, New Zealand. He is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
