New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for his work in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park franchise and the Peaky Blinders series, died on Monday in Sydney, Australia, the artist's family said. He was 78 years old.
In a statement posted on Instagram, members of the actor's family noted that his death was “sudden and unexpected” and was not directly related to cancer. In April, Neill said that after several years of fighting blood cancer, the disease had receded thanks to participation in clinical trials of cell therapy.
“It is with great sadness that Sam Neill's family announces that he passed away on Monday, July 13th in Sydney, Australia. Sam died surrounded by his family, maintaining the dignity that had been characteristic of him throughout his life. His death was sudden and unexpected, but the family's comfort is that his cancer was in remission. The family expresses their deepest gratitude to the staff at St. Vincent's Private Hospital for the exceptional care they provided to him,” the statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his condolences over the actor's death.
“Ironic and understated, thoughtful and laconic, Sam battled his illness with the same dignity, humor and inner conviction that brought strength to every role he played,” Albanese wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Filmography and honorary titles
Nigel John Dermot Neill was born in 1947 in Omagh in Northern Ireland. In 1954, he and his family moved to his father’s homeland, New Zealand, Deadline reports. Subsequently, he began introducing himself as Sam: according to the actor, there were too many boys named Nigel at his school.
The impetus for his acting career was Roger Donaldson's film Sleeping Dogs, released in 1977. In the late 1970s, Neill moved to Australia, hoping to land larger roles.
International fame came to him after the release of Gillian Armstrong's 1979 film My Brilliant Career, in which Judy Davis played the leading role. The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival and attracted the attention of foreign directors and producers to Neill.
In 1989, Neill starred alongside Nicole Kidman in the thriller Dead Calm, and a year later appeared in the film The Hunt for Red October. In 1993, he starred in Jane Campion's drama The Piano, which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and three Oscars.
The actor's other notable works include the role of an astrophysicist in the 1997 science fiction film Through the Horizon, as well as the role of the wizard Merlin from the legends of King Arthur in the NBC miniseries of the same name, released in 1998. This work earned Neill one of his two Emmy nominations. In addition, he has been nominated for a Golden Globe three times throughout his career.
Neill is best known for his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise. Neill first played the character in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film of the same name, based on the novel by Michael Crichton. The actor later returned to the role of Grant in 2001's Jurassic Park III and 2022's Jurassic World: Domination.
TV viewers also remember Neill for his role as Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders.
In total, the actor’s filmography includes more than 150 works.
In 1991, Neill was awarded an OBE for services to acting. He was appointed an honorary Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 and received a knighthood in 2022.
