SYDNEY, Australia — Acclaimed New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for portraying Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993), has died at the age of 78. According to family members and close friends, Neill passed away on July 13 in Sydney after developing pneumonia, following years of treatment for blood cancer.

Neill had been diagnosed in 2022 with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer. After undergoing extensive chemotherapy and immunotherapy, he announced in April 2026 that he was cancer-free. However, his cancer treatments had significantly weakened his immune system, leaving him vulnerable to serious infections.

Close friend and Hunt for the Wilderpeople co-star Rima Te Wiata told the New Zealand Herald that pneumonia ultimately claimed the actor’s life, adding that Neill would likely have been frustrated after overcoming cancer only to succumb to a secondary illness.

His former partner, Australian journalist Laura Tingle, said Neill’s body had become exhausted after years of intensive treatment.

“He’d had a lot of chemo and a lot of immunotherapy… it finally cleared him of the blood cancer, but that left him pretty compromised in terms of his immune system,” she said.

Neill’s family confirmed that he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing… Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,” the family’s statement said.

The family also expressed gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney for their care and requested privacy during their time of mourning.

One of New Zealand’s most internationally recognized actors, Neill enjoyed a career spanning more than five decades. Although he appeared in dozens of films and television productions, he became a global icon through his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and later reprised the role in the franchise.

Throughout his illness, Neill spoke candidly about mortality. In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, he said he was not afraid of death but hoped to have more time to enjoy life with his family, grandchildren, and the vineyard he cherished.

Tributes from colleagues, friends, and fans around the world continue to honor Neill’s remarkable career and lasting contribution to international cinema.

Cause of death: Pneumonia, following immune-system complications resulting from years of treatment for blood cancer.