Overview
- Neill’s whānau confirmed on Monday that he died on July 13 in Sydney, saying the loss was sudden and unexpected and that he was surrounded by family.
- The family thanked staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy while they said more details would be shared later.
- Neill was diagnosed in 2022 with stage‑three angioimmunoblastic T‑cell lymphoma, wrote about it in a 2023 memoir, and announced in April 2026 that CAR T‑cell therapy had left him cancer‑free; CAR T‑cell therapy works by reprogramming a patient’s T cells to attack cancer cells.
- Political leaders and colleagues paid tribute, with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon praising Neill’s contribution to film and culture.
- Beyond his screen career, Neill ran the Two Paddocks winery in New Zealand and is survived by four children and several grandchildren, leaving a legacy as an actor and an advocate for wider access to advanced cancer treatments.