Actor Sam Neill dies from pneumonia at 78
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders, died from pneumonia on Monday at a Sydney hospital, his agent confirmed. Neill had been treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but was cancer-free at the time of his death. His family described his death as sudden and unexpected. Agent Philip Grenz issued a statement correcting media inaccuracies, noting Neill had fought lymphoma through CAR-T therapy and had filmed four projects in the past year. Tributes came from Laura Dern, Toni Collette, and New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon. Neill's career spanned five decades with over 150 credits; his last appearances were in The Fox (2025) and Untamed (2025), with posthumous roles in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort (2027). He is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
Key facts
- Sam Neill died from pneumonia at a Sydney hospital on Monday.
- He had been treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but was cancer-free at death.
- Agent Philip Grenz confirmed cause of death due to media inaccuracies.
- Neill underwent CAR-T therapy for lymphoma.
- He filmed four projects back-to-back in the past year.
- Tributes from Laura Dern, Toni Collette, and NZ PM Christopher Luxon.
- Last film: The Fox (2025); last TV: Untamed (2025).
- Posthumous appearances in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort (2027).
Entities
Artists
- Sam Neill
- Laura Dern
- Toni Collette
- Christopher Luxon
- Philip Grenz
Institutions
- BBC
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Northern Ireland