Sam Neill Battled Pneumonia in Final Weeks Before Death at Age 78, Co-star Says

The Jurassic Park star also battled a rare blood cancer for years, before sharing he was cancer-free earlier this year.

Sam Neill attends the 2025 AACTA Awards in Gold Coast, Australia, on Feb. 7, 2025. Chris Hyde/Getty Images for AFI

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for his role in the Jurassic Park franchise, was recovering from pneumonia prior to his death, according to a former co-star.

Friend and New Zealander actress Rima Te Wiata, who starred alongside Neill in the 2016 comedy “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” revealed the diagnosis in an interview with The New Zealand Herald, but did not provide further details.

“It really sucks actually,” Te Wiata told the outlet. “I think he would be like: ‘For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?' He’s on his big journey now.”

She went on to describe Neill as a “steady” and “grounded” presence whose “peaceful” nature put others at ease, adding he would often remark that he did not have a fear of dying but would simply be “annoyed” by it when the time came.

Neill died at the age of 78 on July 13 while hospitalized at St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, with his family announcing the news through his official social media accounts.

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement reads.

“They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care,” the post continued. “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.”

The actor was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in 2022, candidly sharing details of his illness in his 2023 memoir, “Did I Ever Tell You This?”

Neill said he began writing the memoir while undergoing cancer treatment, using the project to stay focused during long periods of chemotherapy. After his initial treatment stopped working, Neill underwent years of additional therapy before announcing in April that he was cancer-free.

Neill, whose career spanned more than five decades across film, television, and theater, gained global recognition for his portrayal of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films.

Several of his Jurassic co-stars, and director Steven Spielberg, paid tribute to Neill with heartfelt messages remembering the actor who brought the role of Grant to life.

“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend. … He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness, and love, always with the driest of wit,” wrote actress Laura Dern, who played Neill’s colleague and love interest in the movies. “He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man.”

“The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever,” added co-star Jeff Goldblum in an Instagram post.

“Sam was exceptionally collaborative,” posted Spielberg to X. “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.”

Neill is survived his four children, Andrew, Tim, Elena, Maiko, and eight grandchildren.