Sam Neill, widely known for his role in Jurassic Park, died aged 78 on July 13 in Sydney, Australia. Sam Neill, well known for his roles in the Jurassic Park films, died at the age of 78 on July 13 in Sydney, Australia.
The Sam Neil cause of death was not immediately stated, but the actor’s family provided additional information. Here’s everything you need to know.
The family of Sam Neill has released a statement regarding his cause of death.
Neill’s family released a statement on his passing, but did not indicate how the actor died.
Sam Neill’s family is deeply saddened to announce his death on Monday, July 13th, in Sydney, Australia. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed away with the dignity that has defined his entire life,” the statement stated.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free,” it said. While the family accepted that Neill was no longer suffering from cancer, they also stated that his death was unexpected, without going into detail about what caused it.
The statement added, “They would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their exceptional care.” More information will be released later, but in the meantime, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they deal with this enormous loss.”
Sam Neill’s cancer battle: What is T-cell lymphoma?
Sam Neill’s fight with cancer was widely known. The actor was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2022.
T-cell lymphoma is a rare, aggressive kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in T lymphocytes (white blood cells), according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or NHL, is a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system when white blood cells (lymphocytes) proliferate abnormally and form tumours in lymph nodes or other organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, it most commonly affects older persons with compromised immune systems.
Neill’s cancer fight forced him to take a brief hiatus from performing, but the actor announced earlier in 2026 that he was cancer-free.
