New Zealand Actor Sam Neill, Best Known For His Role In “Jurassic Park”, Has Died At Age 78
Neill's family said his death was "sudden and unexpected" and that he had remained cancer-free after treatment.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” films, has died at the age of 78.
Neill appeared in more than 50 films and television series over a career spanning five decades, but he became best known around the world for playing palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant in “Jurassic Park” and later reprising the role in “Jurassic World Dominion.”
He also starred in “The Piano,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Dead Calm,” “Event Horizon,” “The Tudors” and “Peaky Blinders.”
Away from acting, Neill built a large following on social media by sharing humorous videos from his farm and vineyard in New Zealand.
His posts regularly featured his ducks, pigs, sheep and other animals, alongside updates from his Two Paddocks winery and reflections on life.
In recent months, Neill had also been using his platform to support local campaigners opposing a proposed open-cast gold mine in New Zealand's Central Otago region that would permanently damage one of New Zealand's most iconic landscapes, according to campaigners.
Santana Minerals, the Australian mining company behind the project, wants to build the Bendigo-Ophir mine in the Dunstan Mountains, just a few kilometers from Neill's vineyard, saying it would create jobs and bring significant economic benefits to the region.
Neill joined campaign group Sustainable Tarras narrating a documentary opposing the project and said he had received threats after speaking out.
"I'm not against mining. I'm against this mine," Neill told The Guardian in April.
In 2023, Neill revealed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer.
After chemotherapy stopped working, he underwent CAR T-cell therapy as part of a clinical trial in Australia.
In April 2026, he announced he was cancer-free and began campaigning for wider access to the treatment.
On Monday, July 13, Neill died in Sydney, Australia.
His family said his death was "sudden and unexpected" and that he had remained cancer-free after treatment, according to Reuters.
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Lillian Yeh
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