Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill's cause of death revealed

'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill's cause of death revealed

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor celebrated for his roles as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise and the ruthless detective Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders, died of pneumonia on July 13, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. He was 78.

The cause of death was confirmed on July 15 by Neill's representative, Philip Grenz, who stated that the actor had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy before falling ill. Neill had been diagnosed in 2022 with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer. After participating in a clinical trial in Australia and undergoing chemotherapy, he announced he was cancer-free in April 2026.

Despite his remission, sources close to the actor suggested his previous health battles left him vulnerable. Laura Tingle, a journalist who dated Neill between 2018 and 2021, told ABC Radio Sydney that the actor's immune system was pretty compromised following years of intensive chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Tingle noted that Neill had been pretty sick in his final weeks and his body had become exhausted. Rima Te Wiata, a close friend and co-star from Hunt for the Wilderpeople, told the New Zealand Herald that Neill would likely be annoyed to have succumbed to pneumonia after surviving cancer.

The actor's death was described by his family as sudden and unexpected in a statement shared via Instagram. The family, referred to as his whānau, expressed gratitude to the staff at St. Vincent's Private Hospital for their care. Grenz later clarified that some media reports following the death contained inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.

Neill's professional life remained active until the end. According to Grenz, the actor spent the last 12 months filming four back-to-back projects, which are expected to be released in the coming months. He also continued to manage Two Paddocks, his farm and winery in New Zealand's Central Otago region.

Tributes from the film industry highlighted Neill's versatility. Steven Spielberg, who directed the original Jurassic Park, said Neill will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world. Cillian Murphy described him as one of the finest actors, while director Colin Trevorrow called him a deeply soulful and beautiful man. Alec Baldwin praised Neill as one of the kindest and warmest people he had worked with during the filming of The Hunt for Red October.

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in 1947 in Northern Ireland, the actor moved to New Zealand in 1954 and adopted the name Sam at age 12. His career spanned over five decades and more than 150 credits, ranging from The Piano and Event Horizon to Bicentennial Man. He was known for his range, playing both romantic leads and villains, including a role as the Antichrist in Omen III. He was appointed a knight in 2022 after converting his Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Neill is survived by eight grandchildren and four children: sons Tim and Andrew, and daughters Elena and Maiko. He and Andrew had reunited in 1994 after the son was put up for adoption when Neill was in his early 20s.

In accordance with Neill's preference for privacy and his dislike of a fuss, his family will hold a private memorial at his farm in New Zealand. A date for the service has not yet been determined.

The family has requested that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the following organizations:

• The Dunstan Hospital Foundation
• The Snowdome Foundation (blood cancer research)
• The NZ Nature Fund
• Sustainable Tarras