Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor best known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the ‘Jurassic Park’ film series, has died at age 78 in Sydney, according to a family statement. ‘Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,’ the statement said. ‘The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.’

Career and Legacy

Neill’s career spanned five decades and included roles in dozens of films and television series. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work in the 1993 film ‘The Piano,’ for which he also appeared in a supporting role. He reprised his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the 2022 film ‘Jurassic World: Dominion.’

‘It’s been a very happy, surprising life,’ Neill told CNN in 2023 on the 30th anniversary of ‘Jurassic Park.’ ‘I never expected to have a career in film at all, or even as an actor. But it kind of happened, and no one’s more surprised than me.’

Fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban called Neill ‘an inspiration for many who followed in his trailblazing footsteps. A beautiful man, a national treasure who gave so much to New Zealand and to the world.’

Cancer Battle and Advocacy

Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been living with a rare form of lymphoma for about five years and was undergoing chemotherapy. He said the treatment was keeping him alive but was ‘a pretty miserable business.’ When the chemo stopped working, he turned to CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s blood cells to attack cancer. The treatment is still in clinical trials for some blood cancers but has shown success in cases like Neill’s.

‘I’ve just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing,’ Neill said after receiving the treatment. He and other patients like 52-year-old Geoff Nyssen have been advocating for government funding to make the treatment more accessible in Australia. ‘The fact that Australians are soon going to be able to receive these therapies from home, it’s just amazing,’ Nyssen said.

Personal Life and Final Years

Neill was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947 and moved to New Zealand’s South Island at age 7. He was knighted by the New Zealand government in 2022. He also received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991. He lived on a sprawling farm in New Zealand called Two Paddocks, where he developed a bodega, organic crops, and a small animal sanctuary.

According to reports, his family has not disclosed the exact cause of his death. However, they noted that he had been cancer-free after five years of treatment. ‘The loss was sudden and unexpected, but we find comfort in knowing that Sam was cancer-free,’ the family said in a statement.

Neill is survived by his wife, Anna Frame, and their three children. The family has requested privacy as they grieve. More details about his funeral and memorial plans are expected to be announced later.