Beloved Kiwi actor Sir Sam Neill has died aged 78. Neill’s family confirmed his death in a statement shared on social media on Monday (July 13th).
“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” the statement reads. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
“More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
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One of New Zealand’s most celebrated screen exports, Neill became an international star through his portrayal of palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993), later reprising the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). His extensive filmography also included My Brilliant Career, The Piano, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Omen III: The Final Conflict, and television roles in Peaky Blinders and Merlin.
Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Northern Ireland in 1947, he moved to Christchurch with his family as a child. While studying at the University of Canterbury, he discovered acting through student theatre before making his screen debut in the 1971 New Zealand film The City of No. His breakthrough arrived with Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs in 1977, a performance that paved the way for a move to Australia and a leading role opposite Judy Davis in My Brilliant Career.
Neill’s growing international profile continued throughout the 1980s, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the television miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies. He was also among the actors considered to succeed Roger Moore as James Bond before the role ultimately went to Timothy Dalton.
Despite his Hollywood success, Neill remained closely connected to New Zealand throughout his career, regularly returning to local productions. He appeared in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning The Piano and later starred as bushman Hector Faulkner in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which became New Zealand’s highest-grossing local film at the time of its release. More recently, he starred in The Fox from Australian writer-director Dario Russo, which will be released in cinemas later this year.
In 2023, Neill revealed he had been treated for stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer. He disclosed the diagnosis while promoting his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, explaining that although the disease was in remission, he continued to receive monthly treatment.
Away from the screen, Neill was also a respected winemaker, operating Central Otago winery Two Paddocks from his home near Alexandra.
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991 and received the Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007. Although he initially declined to adopt the title when New Zealand reinstated knighthoods, he accepted the redesignation in 2022, officially becoming Sir Sam Neill. Last year, he was honoured with the Screen Legend Award at the New Zealand Screen Awards in recognition of his enduring contribution to film and television.
Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
From Variety Australia
