Renowned actor and director, Sam Neill (1943–2026) built a five-decade screen career with notable roles in cinema and television. He died at 78 in Sydney, surrounded by family.
Sam Neill has died aged 78. His family has said he passed "sudden and unexpected" on Monday in Sydney, surrounded by family and cancer-free after treatment for angioimmunoblastic T‑cell lymphoma. Neill has built a five-decade career from New Zealand and earned global fame in films such as The Piano and Jurassic Park.
Actor Sam Neill has died at 78. His career spanned five decades, from early NZ breakthroughs to Hollywood fame in Jurassic Park and acclaimed arthouse films such as The Piano. He will be remembered for his warmth, versatility and enduring presence across cinema and television.
Sam Neill has died in Sydney at 78. His family has described the death as "sudden and unexpected" and his longtime agent has said Neill passed from pneumonia after having beaten a rare lymphoma with CAR‑T therapy; the agent added Neill had filmed four projects due for release and the family has asked for privacy and donations to causes he supported.