Acclaimed actor Sam Neill has died “suddenly and unexpectedly” at home in Sydney, Australia.

The (Northern Ireland born) New Zealander – who had a career spanning more than five decades and amassed more than 150 screen credits – had been reported to now be cancer-free as recently as April this year, following treatment for angio-immunoblastic T-cell lymphoma – a type of blood cancer.

He had responded well to chemotherapy and was understood to be in remission, although he had clarified that he would require monthly chemotherapy for the rest of his life.

The family of the global star, who shot to fame in the 1990s blockbuster Jurassic Park, released a short statement confirming his death and said he was “surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”

It continued to thank hospital staff before adding: “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.”

Sam not Nigel

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947, he moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, with his family as a child. He adopted the name Sam at the age of 12 because there were several “Nigels” at his school and he also thought it could lead to bullying.

He began acting while studying at the University of Canterbury and gained wide recognition in the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs, one of New Zealand’s first films to achieve international distribution. He later moved to Australia, where he starred in My Brilliant Career (1979), a film that helped establish him as a leading actor.

Monster hit

One of his main breakthrough roles was filmed in the UK in the early 1980s, when he appeared as Damien Thorn, son of the devil, in the supernatural horror Omen III: The Final Conflict. However, it was through his performances in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning The Piano and as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, both in 1993, that elevated him to stardom.

He reprised the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), becoming one of the franchise’s most beloved figures and voiced the character in three video games based on the series.

Reluctant star

Neill also delivered memorable performances in The Hunt for Red October as Sir Sean Connery’s second in command, and Dead Calm as Nicole Kidman’s husband. Others include: Event Horizon, Perfect Strangers, Bicentennial Man and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. His last film appearance came in The Fox (2025)

On television, he found success playing the sadistic, corrupt police officer Major Chester Campbell in the first two series of the BBC’s Peaky Blinders, as well as widely recognised roles in The Tudors, Merlin, and The Simpsons. His last TV appearance came in Netflix series Untamed (2025).

Tributes

Cillian Murphy was amongst the many high profile names to pay tribute to the much-loved star, saying: “Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors. RIP.”

Steven Spielberg the Jurassic Park director said: “Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him. He will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.” 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Neill as “one of the greats”, while former PM Jacinda Ardern stated that the actor was: “such a thoughtful, curious, and decent person; we’ve lost another incredible kiwi, and I feel profoundly sad.”

Honours

Sam Neill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991 for services to acting. He was later made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 and accepted a knighthood in 2022 after changes to New Zealand’s honours system allowed recipients to adopt titular honours. 

He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.