Jurassic Park star Sam Neill dies at 78

Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor widely known as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, has died at the age of 78. Photo: Wikipedia.

JAKARTA - Sam Neill, a New Zealand actor widely known as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, died at the age of 78. The family said his death was sudden and unexpected.

USA Today, quoted on Monday, July 13, reported that the sad news was announced by the family through Neill's Instagram account on Monday, July 13. He died in Sydney, Australia, accompanied by his family.

"It is with great sadness that Sam Neill's whānau announces that he passed away on Monday, July 13, in Sydney, Australia," the family wrote.

Whānau is a word in the Māori language that means extended family.

"Sam was surrounded by his family and died with dignity, as he always showed throughout his life," the statement continued.

The family has not revealed the cause of Neill's death.

In April, Neill said he was free of cancer after undergoing clinical trials in Australia. Previously, he was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer.

The family said they were grateful that Neill remained cancer-free until the end of his life. They also expressed their gratitude to hospital staff for the care provided.

"Further details will be provided later. For now, we ask that the family's privacy be respected in the face of this great loss," the family wrote.

The role of Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's 1993 Jurassic Park elevated Neill to the ranks of world stars. The hard, but still warm paleontologist character became one of the most recognizable figures in the franchise.

Neill reprised his role as Grant in Jurassic Park III. He then appeared with the old cast in Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.

Throughout his career, Neill also starred in The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon, The Horse Whisperer, and Bicentennial Man.

On television, he appeared in Reilly, Ace of Spies, Merlin, and The Tudors. Neill also played the ruthless detective Chester Campbell in two seasons of Peaky Blinders in 2013 to 2014.

In 2024, he starred in the limited series Apples Never Fall as Stan Delaney, a former tennis coach.