Actor Sam Neill, widely recognized for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the "Jurassic Park" franchise, died on Monday at the age of 78. His family announced his passing, describing it as "sudden and unexpected" in a statement shared on his Instagram page. Neill had been battling a type of blood cancer, but had recently announced he was in remission.

Neill, a New Zealand actor, was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, and moved to New Zealand with his family as a child. He developed a passion for acting early in his career, appearing in numerous films and television shows.

His career spanned decades, with notable roles in "The Piano," "Dead Calm," and "Omen III: The Final Conflict." He reprised his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic World Dominion" in 2022, alongside original co-stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.

In an interview earlier this year, Neill shared details of his cancer diagnosis, which he received in 2022 while promoting "Jurassic World Dominion." He explained that chemotherapy had stopped working, and he underwent a costly CAR T-cell therapy treatment that genetically modifies a patient's own T-cells to fight cancer. He expressed excitement that scans showed he was cancer-free.

Neill was married twice. His first marriage was to actress Lisa Harrow, with whom he had a son, Tim Neill, born in 1983. After their divorce in 1989, he married Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe the same year. They had a daughter, Elena Neill, born in 1991. Neill also adopted Watanabe's daughter, Maiko Spencer, from a previous marriage. His marriage to Watanabe ended in divorce in 2017.

In his later years, Neill was also in a private relationship with Australian political journalist Laura Tingle, which lasted from 2018 to 2021. He confirmed their amicable split in 2023, reflecting on their time together. He described himself as a solitary single man, acknowledging loneliness at times but also expressing gratitude for the women in his life.

Neill is survived by his children and eight grandchildren. His family has requested privacy during this period of immense loss.