Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia

New Zealand star actor Sam Neill, best known for his performances in Jurassic Park and The Piano, died from pneumonia, his long-time agent said on Thursday.

Neill passed away on Monday at the age of 78 in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by his family.

Philip Grenz, who worked for Neill for 19 years, said after speaking to his family: "Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.”

“As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date,” he said, according to Radio New Zealand.

His death was "unexpected and sudden," Neill’s family had said.

Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

According to his family, he "remained cancer-free" at the time of his death.

During his decades-long career, Neill earned acclaim for his versatility, moving seamlessly between arthouse films and major Hollywood productions. He became internationally recognized for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and also delivered a celebrated performance as the husband to Holly Hunter's character in The Piano.

Neill was among the actors and filmmakers who helped bring Australian and New Zealand cinema to international prominence during the late 1970s and beyond, alongside figures including Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir, and Gillian Armstrong.

“In addition to running his award-winning winery, Two Paddocks, Sam had filmed four projects back-to-back during the past year, all of which will be released within the coming months,” said Grenz.

Survived by four children and eight grandchildren, the late actor was knighted in 2022, becoming Sir Sam Neill.

He was born in 1947 in Northern Ireland, before moving to New Zealand at the age of 7, where his family settled in Dunedin on the South Island.

Neill attended a boarding school in Christchurch, the South Island's largest city.