Sam Neill, the widely respected actor known around the world for his work in the “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” franchises, has died in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78. His family said he passed away on July 13 and was surrounded by loved ones. In their statement, they described his death as sudden and unexpected, while noting that he remained cancer free at the time of his passing.
The family also thanked the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy as they deal with the loss. Neill had previously revealed after completing principal photography on “Jurassic World Dominion” in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a blood cancer, and said in April that he was cancer-free.
A career that shaped screen culture in Australia and New Zealand
Born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, Neill became an important figure in the growth of film in the region. He appeared in Roger Donaldson’s “Sleeping Dogs,” the first theatrical feature shot on 35mm in New Zealand, and later gained international attention with Gillian Armstrong’s “My Brilliant Career,” which became a global success. His early filmography also included major genre titles such as “Omen III: The Final Conflict” and “Possession,” along with the TV miniseries “Reilly: Ace of Spies,” which brought him a Golden Globe nomination.
Neill continued to build a high-profile career through the 1980s and 1990s with roles opposite Meryl Streep in “Plenty” and “A Cry in the Dark,” as well as in Phillip Noyce’s “Dead Calm” and the box-office hit “The Hunt for Red October.” Though some later projects struggled commercially, his profile rose again with his appearances in the “Jurassic” films, which became the defining blockbuster chapter of his career. Screen Producers Australia called him one of the great figures of Australian and New Zealand screen culture, saying his work inspired generations of filmmakers and performers.
Source: variety.com
