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‘Jurassic Park’ Actor Sam Neill Dies at 78

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  July 13, 2026 7:30 AM

Prolific actor Sam Neill, best known for his roles in 'Jurassic Park,' 'The Piano,' 'Event Horizon,' and 'In the Mouth of Madness,' has died in Sydney, Australia. He was 78 years old.

Neill's family announced the death on Instagram in a statement that read:

It is with immense sadness that the whanau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July 2026 in Sydney, Australia. 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. The family 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.

Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, County Tyrone, in Northern Ireland, in 1947 to Priscilla Ingham, an Englishwoman, and Dermot Neill, a New Zealander. His father was stationed in Ireland to serve with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. His father also owned Neill and Co., which later became part of the hospitality group Wilson Neill.

The family moved to New Zealand in 1954, where Neill attended Cashmere Primary School and the Medbury School, a private preparatory school. It was there that Neill began going by 'Sam,' as many other students were named Nigel.

He went on to study at the University of Canterbury, where he was uncertain about his career. Deciding not to follow his father's business or military footsteps, Neill considered a career in law but failed his first year. It was at the University of Canterbury where Neill appeared in several stage productions, including 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Marat/Sade.' He transferred from the University of Canterbury to Victoria University of Wellington, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.

Neill then joined the Downstage Theatre as a professional actor, earning $25 a week and any leftover food from the audience meal.

In 1971, Neill starred in his first television film, 'The City of No ', for New Zealand television. He starred in short films and another television movie, 'Hunt's Duffer' in the early 1970s. His breakout performance came in the 1977 film 'Sleeping Dogs,' the first New Zealand film to be widely screened overseas.

Neill then moved to Australia to make more television shows and movies, including 'My Brilliant Career' (1979), 'The Journalist' (1979), and 'Attack Force Z' (1981).

In 1981, he played the male lead in Andrzej Zulawski's cult film 'Possession,' and Damien Thorn in 'Omen III: The Final Conflict.' That was his first big international role.

Neill was also reportedly one of the leading candidates to replace Sir Roger Moore as James Bond, but lost the role to Timothy Dalton.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Neill starred in numerous films, including 'La Revolution Française as Marquis de Lafayette, John Carpenter's 'In the Mouth of Madness,' and a live-action adaptation of 'The Jungle Book.'

In 1990, he had a part in 'The Hunt for Red October,' and also played Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 dinosaur box office hit 'Jurassic Park,' a role Neill would reprise through several sequels. He also starred in 'The Piano' opposite Holly Hunter that same year.

In March 2023, Neill announced he'd been receiving treatment for stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, for nearly a year. He was diagnosed after noticing swollen glands during the publicity tour for 'Jurassic World: Dominion.' At the time, Neill said the cancer was in remission, but that he would have to receive chemotherapy monthly for the rest of his life.

In April of this year, Neill said the chemotherapy was no longer working and was part of an Australian clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy. At the time, Neill said scans showed no cancer in his body, and Neill advocated for wider use of the treatment for blood cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand.

Neill was cancer-free at the time of his death.

Neill had a son in his early 20s who was given up for adoption; the two reunited in 1995. He also had a son with actress Lisa Harrow, whom he met on the set of 'The Final Conflict' in 1981. Neill married makeup artist Noriko Watanabe in 1989 and adopted Watanabe's daughter from her first marriage. They also had a daughter together and divorced in 2017. Neill later dated Australian journalist Laura Tingle from 2018 to 2021.

Neill also owned a winery, Two Paddocks, near Alexandra, New Zealand, saying the business was 'ridiculously time- and money-consuming,' but that it was also 'so satisfying and fun.' He named the winery's farm animals after movie industry colleagues.

In 1991, Neill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007. He received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Canterbury in 2002.

While Neill was nominated for several awards, including Golden Globes, he was never nominated for an Academy Award.

He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.