Sam Neill, ‘Jurassic Park’ star, dies at 78
What's new: Family members said Neill remained cancer-free at the time of his death after years of treatment for lymphoma.
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor whose film and TV career spanned more than five decades, has died at 78. His family said he died surrounded by relatives and asked for privacy. Neill revealed in 2023 that he was receiving chemotherapy after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He later said the disease was in remission, and in April 2026 he said scans found no cancer in his body; his family said he remained cancer-free when he died. Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, and raised in Christchurch, Neill became internationally known in 1977's "Sleeping Dogs" before breaking through globally in 1993 with "The Piano" and as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park." He later appeared in "Peaky Blinders" and returned for "Jurassic World Dominion."