“Sudden And Unexpected” – ‘Jurassic Park’ Star Passes Away At 78

New Zealand actor Sam Neill passed away on Monday in Sydney, Australia.

He was 78.

Neill was best known for his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” series.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” his family announced on Instagram.

“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss,” the statement continued.

Watch below:

Actor Sam Neill, best known for his roles in the “Jurassic Park” films, has died. He was 78. https://t.co/6qyxfF6d23 pic.twitter.com/SuW6bykHAd

— ABC News (@ABC) July 13, 2026

More from The New York Times:

His credits included the New Zealand films “The Piano” (1993) and “Hunt For the Wilderpeople” (2016); the Hollywood blockbusters “Jurassic Park” (1993) and its sequels, and “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022); and two seasons of the British television series “Peaky Blinders.”

“I’d like to think I’m able to suggest ambiguities and complexities in the people I play, because I think all of us have hidden aspects or contradictory qualities,” he told The Dominion Post, a New Zealand newspaper, in 2007. “I think that’s what makes us interesting as human beings, and that’s what makes human beings interesting to play.”

With few exemplars of international actors from a New Zealand background to follow, Mr. Neill said he had never set himself specific goals, allowing him to ricochet almost aimlessly from one project to the next.

“I never had a map, you know,” he told The Dominion Post in 2016. “There was no one else here that I knew of that had ever had a screen career.”

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, mourned Mr. Neill, who he said had “starred in so many beloved Australian stories” and “earned a special place in Australian hearts.”

Before his death, Neill recounted the greatest lesson he learned from his parents.

“Sometimes you just have to pull yourself together. It’s a tough lesson, but it’s a good one,” Neill said.

Watch below:

Actor Sam Neill was asked what was the greatest lesson he learned from his parents.

He recalled his mother’s simple but profound advice:

“Sometimes you just have to pull yourself together. It’s a tough lesson, but it’s a good one.”

Wise words from a man who lived his life with… pic.twitter.com/3YGL9lYFSw

— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) July 13, 2026

Fox News shared further:

In 2023, Neill told fans he was “alive and well” and in remission after he revealed in an interview with the BBC that he had been undergoing cancer treatment since being diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022.

“My news seems to be all over the news at the moment, and it’s sort of ‘Cancer! Cancer! Cancer!’ Which is slightly tiresome because, as you see, I am alive and well. And I have been in remission for eight months, which feels really good,” the “Jurassic Park” star said in a lengthy video posted to his Instagram at the time.

“And I’m alive and kicking, and I’m going to work,” the actor, who wore a white T-shirt and a full beard, added. In his BBC interview, the then 75-year-old revealed he lost his hair during his treatment and wanted his beard back “more than anything.”

In his BBC interview, Neill described the cancer as “ferocious” and said when he was diagnosed, he thought he might be “dying.”

Though one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, Neill kept much of his personal life private.

In 1989, he married Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe. Together, they welcomed a daughter, Elena. Neill also helped raise Watanabe’s daughter, Maiko, from a previous relationship. The couple later separated in 2017.

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Neill also shared a son, Tim, with actress Lisa Harrow, whom he met while filming “Omen III.”

In his 2023 memoir, “Did I Ever Tell You This?,” Neill revealed he fathered a son, Andrew, in his early 20s who was placed for adoption. The two reunited decades later and built a relationship.

Neill was also the grandfather of eight grandchildren.