'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill died from pneumonia, agent says

Actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, his agent Philip Grenz announced on Thursday, providing clarification following earlier news reports that contained inaccuracies. Grenz confirmed that Neill had been battling and had successfully overcome lymphoma through a new treatment known as CAR-T therapy prior to his illness.

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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.

Neill, celebrated for his roles in "Jurassic Park," "The Piano," and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," passed away on Monday in Sydney. His agent stated that Neill had been intensely private and disliked fuss, hence his family will honor him with a private memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a later date.

In 2023, Neill disclosed his diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. By April of this year, he had announced he was cancer-free. CAR-T therapy, an immunotherapy treatment involving a patient's T cells, is used for various blood cancers.

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

Colleagues from the film industry shared tributes, remembering Neill as a kind, witty, and curious individual. Director Taika Waititi, who worked with Neill on "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," expressed deep affection, referring to Neill by his birth name, Nigel. Steven Spielberg, who directed Neill in the first "Jurassic Park" film, fondly recalled their collaboration, stating, "I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him."

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You are so loved and will be sorely missed by us all.

Neill, who also produced wine under his Two Paddocks brand in New Zealand's Central Otago region, was mourned in his home country as an unassuming person who contributed to local causes. He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.

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I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him. Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.