Sam Neill’s Former Co-Star Shares New Details About His Final Day
Sam Neill’s Former Co-Star Shares New Details About His Final Day
Evolve EditorsTue, July 14, 2026 at 7:51 PM UTC
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Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Sam Neill’s final weeks have come into focus after a former co-star shared new details. Rima Te Wiata said the Jurassic Park actor had developed pneumonia, although his family has not announced an official cause of death.
Rima Te Wiata said the late actor had been fighting pneumonia in the days leading up to his unexpected death
Sam Neill’s former co-star, Rima Te Wiata, shared the update while remembering Neill on the New Zealand Herald’s Ryan Bridge TODAY. The pair worked together in the 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Neill played Hector, while Te Wiata portrayed Bella.
“It really sucks, actually,” Te Wiata said. She imagined Neill reacting with his familiar dry humor: “For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?” Te Wiata also remembered him as a calm, grounded person who approached life without drama.
Neill died in Sydney on July 13 at age 78. His family posted a statement on his official Instagram account, calling the loss “sudden and unexpected” and saying he remained cancer-free. They added that his loved ones surrounded him and thanked the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care.
The family did not identify Sam Neill’s cause of death. Te Wiata’s comments indicate that he had pneumonia shortly before he died, but they do not establish the lung infection as the official cause of death. That distinction remains important as more details emerge about his final days.
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Neill’s former partner, journalist Laura Tingle, said he had been “pretty sick” during his final weeks. Speaking on ABC Radio Sydney, Tingle explained that years of chemotherapy and immunotherapy had taken a toll on his body and weakened his immune system, even after treatment cleared his blood cancer.
The Jurassic Park star announced in April that scans showed no cancer after he underwent CAR T-cell therapy. Neill expressed excitement about returning to acting.
Te Wiata’s account adds personal context to a loss that shocked Neill’s family, colleagues, and fans. Still, the available statements support one careful conclusion. It says that Neill had faced pneumonia, but his family has not confirmed what caused his death
Originally reported by Misbah Pandith on RealityTea.
The post Sam Neill’s Former Co-Star Shares New Details About His Final Day appeared first on Mandatory.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
