Sam Neill, the 78-year-old New Zealand actor best known for his role in "Jurassic Park," died on Monday, July 14th, 2026, after contracting pneumonia, a co-star revealed.

Rima Te Wiata, who appeared alongside Neill in the 2016 comedy "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," described him to The New Zealand Herald as "a very steady, peaceful, grounded man." She also recalled that Neill had told the press he was not afraid of death but would be "annoyed" by it.

Neill's passing came months after he announced in April 2026 that he was cancer-free, following a battle with stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A co-star reflected on Neill's likely reaction to his illness, saying, “For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?”.

Neill was surrounded by family at the time of his death and passed with dignity, characteristics noted throughout his life. The loss was described as sudden and unexpected but was tempered by the fact that he had remained cancer-free.

Director Steven Spielberg, who worked with Neill on the "Jurassic Park" series, stated in a message to Variety that he "adored making all the 'Jurassic' movies with him."

Neill's career included a role in the award-winning crime series "Peaky Blinders" in 2013, set in post-World War I Britain.

Sources