Actor Sam Neill, known for his role as paleontologist Alan Grant in the "Jurassic Park" franchise, died on Monday in Sydney at the age of 78. His manager, Philip Grenz, confirmed to TMZ that the cause of death was pneumonia.

Neill's death was described as "sudden and unexpected" in a statement posted to his social media page. The statement also noted that he "remained cancer free" at the time of his passing. Neill had previously battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he disclosed in 2023. He had undergone a new treatment called CAR-T therapy for the condition.

His passing prompted tributes from colleagues and directors, including Steven Spielberg, who directed the first "Jurassic Park" film. "I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him," Spielberg said in a statement. "Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world."

Born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, Neill became an international star during a period of significant success for Australian cinema in the late 1970s. He gained early international recognition for his role in the 1979 film "My Brilliant Career." His diverse filmography includes roles in "The Piano," "Event Horizon," "Omen III: The Final Conflict," and "The Tudors."

Neill twice co-starred with Meryl Streep, in Fred Schepisi's "Plenty" and "A Cry in the Dark." He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the 1998 miniseries "Merlin" and three Golden Globe nominations throughout his career.

His portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park" brought him widespread fame. Grant, a thoughtful scientist, was summoned to an island theme park where cloned dinosaurs were housed. Neill reprised the role in "Jurassic Park III" (2001) and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022), as well as the original "The Lost World: Jurassic Park II" (1997).

Richard E. Grant, a friend and co-star, described Neill as "an officer and a gentleman in the truest sense."