Sam Neill, star of ‘Jurassic Park’ & ‘The Piano,’ dies at 78

Sam Neill, the acclaimed actor celebrated for his roles in "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," has died at the age of 78. Neill passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in Sydney on Monday, according to a statement released on his social media page. His family confirmed he was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his death.

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

In 2023, Neill revealed his diagnosis with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite his diagnosis, his family stated that he "remained cancer free" at the time of his passing, though a specific cause of death was not provided.

Neill's career was marked by remarkable versatility, moving seamlessly between art films and blockbuster hits. He first gained international attention in Gillian Armstrong's 1979 film "My Brilliant Career." His diverse filmography includes roles in "Dead Calm," "Sweet Revenge," "Event Horizon," "Omen III: The Final Conflict," and "The Tudors."

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Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?

He achieved widespread fame playing paleontologist Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster "Jurassic Park." Neill reprised the role in subsequent installments, including "Jurassic Park III" (2001) and "Jurassic World: Dominion" (2022). He also earned Emmy nominations for his performance in the miniseries "Merlin" (1998) and as a narrator for "Wild New Zealand" (2017).

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It’s probably a little late to learn these things, but I finally feel I’ve worked out how to be an actor