Jurassic Park star Sam Neill died of pneumonia, spokesperson says

Hollywood star Sam Neill died from pneumonia, his spokesperson confirmed. The family decided to release the cause of death to counter "inaccuracies and simply false claims" circulating in the media, according to Philip Grenz, Neill's long-time representative.

Neill, who passed away at 78 in Sydney, Australia, had been cancer-free shortly before his death. The "Jurassic Park" actor publicly disclosed his battle with aggressive blood cancer in 2022. He successfully underwent CAR-T cell therapy, a modern form of cancer immunotherapy, after initial chemotherapy treatments.

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inaccuracies and simply false claims

His former partner, Australian journalist Laura Tingle, noted that years of cancer treatments had severely weakened the actor. She told ABC Sydney that Neill had fought cancer intensely for years, enduring numerous therapies that strained his immune system. He had been seriously ill in recent weeks.

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the years of cancer treatments had severely weakened the actor

Despite his health struggles, Neill filmed four productions last year, which are slated for release in the coming months, Grenz added. The actor lived a private life and did not desire public attention. Consequently, his funeral will be a private ceremony on his farm in New Zealand. The family requested donations to Neill's favored organizations in lieu of flowers.

Neill achieved his breakthrough in 1993 as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." He starred alongside Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in the adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestseller. Decades later, he reprised the role in "Jurassic World: Dominion."

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Neill filmed four productions last year, which are slated for release in the coming months