NEWS'Jurassic Park' Star Sam Neill Dead at 78 Nearly 1 Year After Declaring He Was Cancer-Free
'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill died at 78 years old.
July 13 2026, Updated 5:20 a.m. ET
Jurassic Park star Sam Neill died at the age of 78 on Monday, July 13, in Sydney, Australia.
The prolific actor was surrounded by family at the time of his death.
His sudden passing comes as a shock to many, as he declared in April that after a long and rigorous battle with cancer, he was finally free of the disease.
Sam Neill's Death Was 'Sudden and Unexpected'
Sam Neill's family confirmed his death on Monday, July 13 in Sydney, Australia.
Early on Monday, Neill's family shared a statement to the media informing people of his death, per BBC.
"It is with immense sadness that the whānau [extended family] of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia," the statement read.
"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," Neill's family continued in the statement.
They also explained that the legendary actor's death was a shock to them.
"The loss was sudden and unexpected, but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free," they added.
Sam Neill's family stated they would share more details later but requested privacy for now as they dealt with his sudden death.
Neill's family said they are thankful for the care he received.
"They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care," the statement read.
"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," the statement concluded.
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Sam Neill Announced He Was Cancer Free in April
Sam Neill said he had been diagnosed with cancer in March 2023.
Per the outlet, the New Zealand actor revealed in March 2023 that he was diagnosed with cancer. He described his illness at the time as "a ferocious type of aggressive" non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In April, he revealed in an interview with Australia's 7 News, "I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years, and I was on chemotherapy and the pretty miserable business, but it was keeping me alive."
However, he admitted that eventually the chemotherapy stopped working and he was "at a loss.”
Sam Neill revealed he was 'cancer-free' in April.
The only option left for him at that point was to receive CAR T-Cell therapy. He admitted to Australian Story in September 2023 that he had been going through the treatment, which required him to have infusions every two weeks.
He also stated that at that point he was in remission for at least 12 months.
In April, he revealed to 7 News, "I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body; that’s an extraordinary thing."
