Sam Neill, acclaimed actor of Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders, dies at 78

WEB DESK: Veteran New Zealand actor Sam Neill, whose career spanned more than five decades and included acclaimed roles in Jurassic Park, The Piano and Peaky Blinders, has died at the age of 78.

Neill’s family confirmed his death in a statement shared on his official Instagram account on Monday, saying he passed away peacefully in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by loved ones. While no cause of death was announced, the family described his passing as sudden and unexpected and thanked the medical staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care. They also requested privacy as they mourned his loss.

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The actor had publicly revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with stage-three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma the previous year. In recent months, however, he had said the disease was in remission and that he was cancer-free, although he continued to receive regular treatment.

Following news of his death, tributes poured in from across the entertainment industry and beyond. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese honoured Neill as one of the region’s most admired actors, praising his warmth, humour and remarkable contribution to film and television.

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Northern Ireland in 1947, he moved to New Zealand with his family during childhood. Although he initially studied law, Neill eventually chose acting and began his professional career in theatre before making his breakthrough in the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs.

International audiences came to know him best as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, a role he later reprised in Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion. The same year, he also starred in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning drama The Piano, further cementing his reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest actors.

His extensive body of work included films such as My Brilliant Career, Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, Event Horizon, The Dish, The Jungle Book, Peter Rabbit and Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Television audiences also recognised him for portraying Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders, as well as appearances in The Tudors, Reilly, Ace of Spies, The Twelve, The Simpsons and Rick and Morty.

Away from the screen, Neill enjoyed life at his vineyard, Two Paddocks, in New Zealand’s Central Otago region, where he frequently shared moments from farm life with his followers.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Neill received numerous honours, including being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and later being knighted under the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022. He is survived by his four children and six grandchildren.