Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for his role in the Jurassic Park films, has died at the age of 78. His family announced the news on Monday, saying he passed away on July 13 in Sydney, surrounded by his loved ones.
In a statement, the family emphasized that Neill’s previously diagnosed cancer had not returned and was not the cause of his death, according to Blikk. The actor had previously been diagnosed with stage III angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Conventional chemotherapy proved ineffective, but an experimental medication successfully put the disease into remission. He continued receiving the treatment once a month, and the cancer had completely disappeared from his body, making his death all the more unexpected for his family.
Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Sam Neill moved to New Zealand as a child, where he later built his acting career. He became internationally famous for portraying paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise. Throughout his long career, he also appeared in Bicentennial Man, The Tudors, and Marvel’s Thor films, among many other acclaimed productions.
