Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor whose understated screen presence helped define Jurassic Park and later made him a memorable figure in Peaky Blinders, has died aged 78.
Neill died in Sydney on Monday, July 13, surrounded by family. His whānau described the loss as “sudden and unexpected” and said he passed away with the dignity that had characterised his life.
The family thanked staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy. No official cause of death was immediately announced.
Family confirms Neill remained cancer free
The announcement came after Neill had spoken openly about his treatment for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.
He revealed the diagnosis in 2023 after undergoing chemotherapy and later receiving CAR-T cell therapy. In April 2026, Neill said a medical scan showed there was no cancer in his body.
His family repeated that important detail after his death, confirming that he remained cancer free. That means his earlier illness should not be assumed to have caused his death unless further information is released.
Neill wrote his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, while receiving treatment. Rather than focusing only on illness, the book looked back at his childhood, family, friendships and an acting career that he often described as surprising and unexpected.
Jurassic Park made him a global star
Neill became internationally famous as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.
His performance gave the film a grounded human centre. Grant was not a conventional action hero, but a scientist forced to protect two children while surviving encounters with living dinosaurs.
Neill returned to the role in Jurassic Park III and reunited with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
The same year as the original Jurassic Park, he appeared in Jane Campion’s acclaimed drama The Piano. The contrast between the two roles showed why Neill remained difficult to typecast.
His other major films included Dead Calm, A Cry in the Dark, The Hunt for Red October, Event Horizon, Omen III: The Final Conflict and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
His death follows other recent losses from international film and television, including French actor and comedian Bruno Salomone, whose career spanned television, cinema and voice work.
Peaky Blinders connected him to Northern Ireland
Television audiences knew Neill as Major Chester Campbell, the ruthless Belfast police chief who became an early enemy of Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders.
The role had a personal connection. Neill was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947 and moved to New Zealand with his family when he was seven.
He later said his original accent had faded after he was teased at school. While preparing for Peaky Blinders, he received help from Northern Irish actors Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt.
Neill also played the title role in the television miniseries Merlin and appeared in The Tudors, Alcatraz, Apples Never Fall and Australian legal drama The Twelve.
Just weeks before his death, he received a Silver Logie nomination for his work in The Twelve.
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New Zealand and Australia mourn a shared screen icon
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as “one of the greats” and said his work helped take New Zealand stories to the world.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill had earned a special place in Australian hearts through his many roles in Australian productions.
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark praised his contribution to the country’s arts, culture, environment and wine industry, while actor Karl Urban called him a national treasure.
The Associated Press report on Sam Neill’s life and death also highlights the scale and variety of his five-decade career.
Neill received an OBE in 1991 and a New Zealand knighthood in 2022 for services to acting.
Outside film, he founded the Two Paddocks winery in Central Otago and became known for humorous social-media posts featuring animals named after famous friends.
He was also an environmental campaigner and spoke publicly against a proposed industrial gold mine in Central Otago in early 2026.
His passing also comes amid tributes for other respected performers, including Pierre Deny, the veteran French actor known internationally for Emily in Paris.
Neill is survived by four children, Tim, Elena, Maiko and Andrew, as well as several grandchildren.
For some viewers, he will always be Dr Alan Grant. For others, he will be Major Campbell, Merlin, a submarine officer or a haunted scientist. What connected those roles was an acting style built on intelligence, restraint and quiet authority.
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