Hollywood is mourning the loss of one of its own.
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor and entrepreneur best known for his leading turns in classics like The Piano and the Jurassic Park franchise, passed away on July 13 at the age of 78.
© Universal PicturesSam Neill's family announces his death
"It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia," his family shared in a statement on social media. "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has [characterized] his whole life."
"The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free," it continued, touching on his battle with the disease over the past three years. "They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for their incredible care."
No further details were shared on the "sudden" illness leading to the actor's death.
Sam Neill's comments on death
In March 2022, while doing publicity in Los Angeles for Jurassic World Dominion, the actor noticed he had swollen glands. After getting them checked out, he received a stage three blood cancer diagnosis, for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
Chemotherapy began a few weeks after, but Neill didn't go public with the diagnosis until a year later, revealing that he'd spent the year off working on a memoir titled Did I Ever Tell You This?.
© Getty Images"I'm not afraid to die, but it would annoy me," he told The Guardian in 2023. "Because I'd really like another decade or two, you know? We've built all these lovely terraces, we've got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I've got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn't care less."
Sam Neill on writing his memoir while undergoing chemotherapy
He did quip that he didn't want his memoir to sound like a "cancer book," saying: "I can't stand them. I am never going to read another bloody cancer book in my life."
Still, Neill dubbed the process a "lifesaver," adding: "I never had any intention to write a book. But as I went on and kept writing, I realized it was actually sort of giving me a reason to live and I would go to bed thinking, I'll write about that tomorrow… that will entertain me."
© Getty Images"And so it was a lifesaver really, because I couldn't have gone through that with nothing to do, you know."
Sam Neill on receiving his experimental cancer treatment
After a first round of chemotherapy, which didn't prove as effective, the actor was put on a list for a "very expensive" experimental new drug. In fact, he was the only person on the drug in New Zealand during his treatment, even signing a contract with the drug company to receive free treatment if he was still alive four months in.
"I'm not off the hook as such, but there's no cancer in my body," he shared with The Guardian. Three years later, appearing on Australia's 7News in April 2026, Neill proposed making the treatment more widely available for the general public. At the time, only certain hospitals in the region offered the drug, with private treatment costing more than $400,000.
© ABC"I've just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body, that's an extraordinary thing," the actor shared. "I'm very, very excited that this can happen," even saying: "It's time I did another movie."
The actor is slated to appear in a pair of 2027 films, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both of which will be posthumously released.
