Overview
- Sam Neill died in Sydney on Monday, July 13, his family announced in a statement that said he was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his passing.
- The family described the death as sudden and unexpected, emphasized that he was free of the T‑cell lymphoma that he had battled, and asked the public to respect their privacy.
- Neill disclosed his diagnosis of an aggressive T‑cell lymphoma in 2023 and in April 2026 announced scans showed no detectable cancer after receiving CAR‑T cell immunotherapy, a treatment that reprograms a patient’s T cells to target cancer.
- Across a five‑decade career with more than 150 credits, Neill was best known as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and also earned acclaim for films such as The Piano and TV roles including Peaky Blinders; he also ran the Two Paddocks vineyard in New Zealand.
- Messages of tribute poured in from collaborators and leaders, including Steven Spielberg, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and senior politicians, and the family said it will provide further details about his death in due course.