- Primary Subject: Sir Sam Neill's passing
- Key Update: Sir Sam Neill has passed away at 78.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 13, 2026
- Quick Answer: The legendary Jurassic Park actor, Sam Neill, passed away on July 13 in Sydney, Australia.
The week started with some tragic news, as it was confirmed that New Zealand actor Sir Sam Neill has passed away at 78 years old.
His family confirmed the news through a post on his Instagram account. "It is with immense sadness that the whānau [family] of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July 2026 in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," the statement read.
"The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free... 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's cause of death hasn't been disclosed, but it appears that he passed away unexpectedly and not directly due to his cancer.
Neill had been navigating through stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, for the past few years since he revealed his condition after filming Jurassic World Dominion. In April of this year, he announced that he was cancer-free.
The legendary actor had a career that spanned more than 50 years, but many will remember him as Dr. Alan Grant from the Jurassic franchise. He starred in the original Jurassic Park film and returned for the third installment. After being away from the franchise for more than two decades, he reprised his role in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion.
Aside from dealing with dinosaurs, the actor's credit list is pretty extensive, ranging from movies and TV shows to even some video games. He even has a small cameo in the last two Thor movies, Thor Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, appearing as Odin's actor in Asgard's plays alongside Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth.
Neill will have two posthumous movies, as he finished filming Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, the next entry in Legendary's Monsterverse saga, and the upcoming romantic comedy The Last Resort, which stars Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich in the title roles.
Supernova is set to release on March 26, 2027, for North American cinemas, while The Last Resort is scheduled to come out sometime in 2027.
Rest in peace, Sam Neill.
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