Charisma Madarang
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SITGES, SPAIN - OCTOBER 11: Actor Sam Neill attends a press conference during day 9 of the 52nd edition of the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival on October 11, 2019 in Sitges, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images) Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images Two days after Sam Neill’s death, the beloved actor’s cause of death has been revealed.
According to Philip Grenz, Neill’s longtime representative, the actor died of pneumonia. In a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday, Grenz said, “As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date.”
The news of Neill’s death at 78 came just a few months after he shared that he was cancer-free after a lengthy struggle with lymphoma. In 2023, the actor announced he was diagnosed with stage 3 blood cancer. “I’m not afraid to die,” said in an interview with The Guardian, “but it would annoy me. Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know? We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big.” He said, “But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.”
Neill, who was best known for starring in the Jurassic Park franchise, had a prolific career in film and television. He became a household name in the 1990s after featuring in films like The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Jurassic Park, Event Horizon, and The Horse Whisperer.
Tributes from fans and across Hollywood poured in after news of his death. Bryce Dallas Howard, who starred in Jurassic World: Dominion, shared a touching remembrance on social media. She said that Neill was “exactly who you hoped he’d be. Funny, warm, wickedly self-deprecating, endlessly kind. A beautiful human being who happened to also be Alan Grant.” She added, “I’m so sad for the world today but especially for those who got to see him every day. He lit up every room he walked into and made the experience of being human feel dazzling.”
