Actor Sam Neill died of pneumonia, says agent

Actor Sam Neill, celebrated for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park," passed away on July 13, 2026, in Australia at the age of 78. His long-time agent, Philip Grenz, clarified the cause of death as pneumonia, aiming to provide fans with accurate information.

Neill's family described his passing as "sudden and unexpected." They also emphasized that the actor was cancer-free at the time of his death, having previously undergone treatment for stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He had declared himself in remission earlier in the year after receiving a novel CAR-T therapy that modified his immune system.

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Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Northern Ireland in 1947, he relocated to New Zealand as a child. He adopted the name Sam, finding his birth name too "effete" for his new surroundings. Neill began his acting career in New Zealand in the early 1970s before moving to Australia for larger roles. His international breakthrough came with "Jurassic Park" in 1993.

Beyond his acting career, Neill was also a vineyard owner in New Zealand's Central Otago region. Tributes have poured in from notable figures, including director Steven Spielberg and co-stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. In accordance with Neill's private nature, his family plans to hold a private memorial ceremony at his New Zealand farm at a later, undetermined date.

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As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honour him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date.