Actor Sam Neill, known for his roles in Jurassic Park, dies at the age of 78
Actor Sam Neill, best known for his role as Dr Alan Grant in ‘Jurassic Park’, has died at the age of 78 in Sydney, surrounded by his family.
The cause of Sam Neill’s death has been revealed after his death at the age of 78.
The “Jurassic Park” actor, who was in remission from stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, died of pneumonia, his agent Philip Grenz said.
“Prior to his illness, Sam was courageously battling and overcoming lymphoma with a new treatment called CAR-T therapy,” Grenz said in a statement shared with USA TODAY.
Grenz said there were several “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods” in recent reports about Neil’s death.
The statement comes after journalist Laura Tingle, who previously dated Neil, said in an interview on Sydney Mornings that Neil had been “pretty unwell” in his last few weeks. She also said that her immune system was “compromised” as a result of her years-long battle with cancer, and that she is now in remission.
“Sam was a very private person who didn’t like to make a fuss, so his family plans to honor him with a private family memorial on their farm in New Zealand at a date to be determined,” Grenz’s statement said. “I would like to thank those truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he has earned and the respect his loved ones need and deserve during this incredibly difficult time.”
Neil announced in April that he was “cancer-free” after undergoing a clinical trial in Australia where he received CAR T-cell therapy to treat a rare blood cancer. He was first diagnosed in 2022.
Announcing his “sudden and unexpected” death on Instagram, his family noted that the actor was “cancer-free” and expressed “deep gratitude” to hospital staff for their “incredible care.”
Neil passed away in Sydney on July 13th.
The actor is best known for playing the gruff but undeniably lovable paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park. He reprized the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
He also appeared in films such as The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon, The Horse Whisperer, and The Bicentennial Man. On television, Neil won wide acclaim for his roles in projects such as Riley, Merlin and The Tudors, as well as the villainous two seasons of Peaky Blinders, where he played ruthless detective Chester Campbell.
Contributor: Kimi Robinson and Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY
