New Zealand actor Sam Neill, renowned for his work in Jurassic Park and the BBC series Peaky Blinders, died Monday at a Sydney hospital after falling to pneumonia, his agent confirmed.
Agent Philip Grenz released a statement last Thursday clarifying that Neill’s death was due to pneumonia. Grenz also addressed misinformation circulating in the media, saying the actor had "been fighting and beating lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR‑T therapy" before his collapse.
In April, Neill announced that he had entered remission after a diagnosis of non‑Hodgkin lymphoma years earlier. His family later reported that he remained cancer‑free at the time of his death.
Neill’s career stretched more than five decades, with notable roles in science‑fiction iconography such as Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, as well as performances in The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm, Event Horizon and the crime drama Peaky Blinders.
Tributes poured from fellow actors, producers and politicians. Jane‑American cinema fans described him as a "lifetime friend," while Australian actress Toni Collette called him a “hero, legend, sweetheart.” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hailed Neill as one of the greats.
Following his death, Neill is scheduled to appear post‑humously in the upcoming 2027 films Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, and will also have been featured in the 2025 film The Fox and the Netflix series Untamed. He is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
For more on Sam Neill’s career and his lasting impact, see the BBC’s extensive feature covering his best‑known roles and his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?
