Jurassic Park star Sam Neill has died aged 78, his family has confirmed.
The Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor, best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the blockbuster dinosaur franchise, died in Sydney, Australia, on Monday.
A statement posted to Instagram read: “It is with immense sadness that the whanau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia.”
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by SamNeillTheProp (@samneilltheprop)
The statement added: “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
“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.”
Born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, to an English mother and New Zealand father, Neill first gained attention for his role in the 1977 thriller Sleeping Dogs.
His breakthrough came in 1993’s Jurassic Park, a franchise he later returned to in Jurassic Park III and 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion.
Neill earned acclaim for performances in films including The Piano, The Hunt For Red October, and Hunt For The Wilderpeople.
He also found success on television, playing Major Chester Campbell in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders, with further appearances in The Tudors, The Simpsons and Alcatraz.
