New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, died on July 13 at the age of 78. His family confirmed the news in a statement shared on his official Instagram account, saying he died peacefully in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by loved ones.
No cause of death was disclosed. Neill had revealed in 2023 that he was undergoing treatment for stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer diagnosed in 2022. However, his family said he remained cancer-free at the time of his death.
Neill initially studied law in Christchurch before abandoning the course to pursue acting. After performing with Canterbury University productions, he joined Wellington's Downstage Theatre, where he began his professional career.
His breakthrough came with Roger Donaldson's 1977 film 'Sleeping Dogs', the first New Zealand film to receive a theatrical release in the United States. He followed it with acclaimed performances in 'My Brilliant Career', 'Omen III: The Final Conflict', Andrzej Lawski's cult classic 'Possession', 'Evil Angels' (A Cry in the Dark), 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'Ivanhoe'.
International stardom arrived in 1993 when he starred in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning 'The Piano' and Steven Spielberg's blockbuster 'Jurassic Park'. Across a career spanning more than five decades, Neill amassed over 150 screen credits
