Sam Neill’s Cause of Death Revealed as Family Plans Private Memorial at His New Zealand Farm
Sam Neill’s Cause of Death Revealed as Family Plans Private Memorial at His New Zealand Farm
Jack Smart, Daniel S. LevineThu, July 16, 2026 at 2:54 AM UTC
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Sam NeillCredit: George Pimentel/Getty -
Sam Neill’s cause of death has been revealed
The Jurassic Park star died on July 13 at age 78
His family had shared a statement that day saying that his death had been “sudden and unexpected”
Sam Neill died of pneumonia at age 78, his representative confirmed in a statement.
“Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy,” Neill’s rep said in a statement to PEOPLE.
The Jurassic Park actor filmed four projects back-to-back in the past 12 months while also running his winery, Two Paddocks, his rep said, adding that a private family memorial will be held at his New Zealand farm at a later date.
Sam NeillCredit: Chris Hyde/Getty
“I’d like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time,” his rep said.
Neill’s rep said that, in lieu of flowers, fans can donate to the actor’s favorite causes, including The Dunstan Hospital Foundation, The Snowdome Foundation, the NZ Nature Fund and Sustainable Tarras.
The Jurassic Parkstar was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer, in 2022. He later shared that he was in remission, but would likely have to receive chemotherapy for the rest of his life.
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Neill’s family said that his death was “sudden and unexpected” in a statement shared on Instagram on Monday, July 13. “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,” it began.
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,” the statement continued. “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. 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.”
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In addition to 1993’s Jurassic Park and its sequels, Neill was known for his starring roles in films including The Hunt for Red October and The Piano and TV shows like The Tudors and Peaky Blinders.
His loss sparked expressions of mourning from many of his Hollywood contemporaries. Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette, Kylie Minogue, Alec Baldwin, Richard E. Grant, Cillian Murphy, Alan Cumming and Henry Golding were among those paying tribute to Neill on social media following the sad news.
The actor is survived by his four children. Neill reunited with his son Andrew, who he fathered when he was in his 20s but did not have a relationship with, in 2014. He shared another son, Tim, with his Omen III costar Lisa Harrow. From 1989 to 2017, he was married to Noriko Watanabe, a makeup artist. He adopted her daughter, Maiko, and they also shared a daughter, Elena.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
