Sam Neill died of pneumonia, agent confirms

Acclaimed New Zealand actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, his long-time agent Philip Grenz confirmed on Thursday. Neill was 78.

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As Sam Neill’s longtime rep, I spoke with his family and wish to clarify some details for his fans. Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.

Grenz revealed that prior to his illness, Neill had "valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma" using a new treatment called CAR-T therapy. The actor had also been busy filming multiple projects over the past year, all slated for release in the coming months, while also running his award-winning winery, Two Paddocks.

Neill's death was announced earlier this week via a social media post, which stated he passed away "surrounded by family" in Sydney. His agent's statement emphasized Neill's private nature, noting that his family "will honour him with a private family memorial" at his farm in New Zealand 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.

Known for iconic roles in films such as "My Brilliant Career," "Jurassic Park," "The Piano," and "The Dish," Neill was knighted in 2022. He had publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in 2023, revealing he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in early 2022. He entered remission later that year and announced in April that he was cancer-free.

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Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.