RIP Sam Neill: ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Piano’ Star Dies at 78

Sam Neill at the "Legend Of The Guardians" World Premiere, Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, CA. 09-19-10

Actor Sam Neill, the versatile star of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises, as well as the Oscar-winning film The Piano (1993) and the critically acclaimed Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), has died at 78 in Sydney, Australia.

Neill’s family announced the actor’s passing in a statement shared through social media. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” they wrote, referencing Neill’s long battle with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, which he said he was free of last April. “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.”

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in 1947 in Omagh, Northern Ireland (but moved to his father’s native New Zealand as a young child), he adopted the name Sam due to there being too many boys named Nigel at his school, which would end up having ripples in his career. “I found I moved more easily in the world as a Sam. Nigel is an awkward fit in most circumstances. Imagine being a movie actor called Nigel Neill.”

Neill was long considered a pioneer in the film industry down under. His breakout role was in the action-thriller film Sleeping Dogs (1977), the first New Zealand film to open in the U.S. and the first theatrical feature to be shot on 35mm film in New Zealand. In 1983, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for playing British agent Sidney Reilly in the series Reilly: Ace of Spies, which even got him considered for playing James Bond after Roger Moore.

In 1993, Neill went from an established actor to a world-famous star for playing Dr. Alan Grant, the pragmatic paleontologist in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, a role he would reprise in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). That same year, he joined the cast of The Piano, which then won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Later in his career, Neill starred in Taika Waititi’s breakout film Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all time, earning over $23.2 million around the world. This collaboration led to Neill having some small cameos in Waititi’s Marvel blockbusters Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

Given his storied, diverse career, many Hollywood figures and former cast mates lamented his passing. Laura Dern took to Instagram, where she wrote, “Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness, and love, always with the driest of wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”

Spielberg himself recalled his time working with Neill, thanking those who put the talented Kiwi actor in his path. “I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker, and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park.” Spielberg 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. Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”

Colin Trevorrow, director of Jurassic World Dominion, also shared a tribute to Neill. “Sam Neill was a deeply soulful and beautiful man,” he wrote. “He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength. I’ll remember him for his tranquility, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters. It’s not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend. Forever grateful.”