‘JURASSIC PARK’ star Sam Neill died in Australia on Monday aged 78, his family said in a statement that described the beloved actor’s death as “sudden and unexpected”.
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement said.
The New Zealander, who starred as Dr Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster ‘Jurassic Park’, revealed in a 2023 memoir he was “possibly dying” with stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
However, he declared this year that he was cancer-free thanks to a genetic therapy that modified his immune system.
The family statement said that Neill “remained cancer free”.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” it said. His family said he was being treated at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney at the time.
Neill’s acting career began in the 1970s and spanned dozens of roles in TV and film, including ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘The Hunt for Red October’ and ‘The Piano’.
When he was not acting, Neill also ran vineyards in the picturesque Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Neill was “one of the greats”.
“For more than 50 years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today — one of our greatest cultural exports,” Luxon said in a statement.
“His work will be watched and loved long after all of us.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill held a “special place in Australian hearts”.
“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance,” Albanese said.
“He will be much mourned and long remembered.”
Fellow Kiwi actor Karl Urban said “Sam was truly brilliant”, while Australian actor David Wenham said Neill was “the kindest, cheekiest, most generous and supportive friend going around”. – AFP
