Actor Sam Neill, best known for his role as paleontologist Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park film 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 had previously battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he disclosed in 2023. His manager noted that Neill had undergone CAR-T therapy, a new treatment, and had been cancer-free at the time of his death. The statement released to the press described his passing as "sudden and unexpected," adding that he "remained cancer-free" and was "surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life."
Fellow actors and directors paid tribute to Neill following the announcement of his death. Steven Spielberg, who directed the first Jurassic Park, shared his admiration, stating, "I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him. 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."
Neill achieved international fame as part of an influx of Australian talent in the late 1970s. His diverse career spanned genres and character types, from his role in the 1979 film My Brilliant Career to playing Damien the Antichrist in Omen III: The Final Conflict and Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in The Tudors. He also starred opposite Meryl Streep twice and earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his work.
His manager mentioned that Neill had been working on four consecutive projects over the past year, which are expected to be released in the coming months. The actor's performance as paleontologist Alan Grant in Jurassic Park brought him widespread recognition, a role he reprised in subsequent installments of the franchise. In his role as Grant, Neill's character was a voice of reason, cautioning about the potential dangers of reintroducing dinosaurs with humans. "Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?" his character famously stated.
Richard E. Grant, a friend and co-star, described Neill as "an officer and a gentleman in the truest sense," noting that Neill had provided significant support during a difficult period in his own life.
