Sam Neill, beloved ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor, dies at 78

Sir Sam Neill – the renowned actor best known for his roles in Jurassic Park, The Piano and Peaky Blinders, has passed away at the age of 78.

His sad demise was announced by his family on Monday in a statement posted on Neill’s Instagram account. According to his family the actor died in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by loved ones. No cause of death was disclosed.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” the statement said.

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.”

The family also thanked staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care and requested privacy as they mourn his loss.

Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer, in 2022. He later said the disease had gone into remission and had recently confirmed he was cancer-free.

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill on September 14, 1947, he began his acting career in New Zealand before gaining international recognition with the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs.

His breakthrough led to a string of acclaimed performances, including My Brilliant Career, Possession, Evil Angels (also released as A Cry in the Dark), and The Hunt for Red October.

He achieved worldwide fame in 1993 with two landmark performances: as Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster Jurassic Park and as Alisdair Stewart in Jane Campion’s Academy Award-winning drama The Piano. He later reprised the role of Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion.

Across a career spanning more than five decades, Neill appeared in over 150 film and television productions, including Dead Calm, Event Horizon, The Dish, Peter Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Television audiences also praised his performance as Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders, along with roles in The Tudors, The Twelve and Reilly, Ace of Spies.