78-year-old legendary actor Sam Neill passed away on July 13, 2026. A while back, Sam's representative revealed the cause of his death.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleHollywood industry is still mourning the loss of legendary actor Sam Neill. The actor, who was widely known for his role as 'Dr Alan Grant' in the American sci-fi adventure film, Jurassic Park, passed away at the age of 78. According to reports, Sam took his last breath on July 13, 2026. The devastating news of his death was announced by his family, who have described the demise as 'sudden' and 'unexpected.' A while back, Sam’s representative confirmed the cause of his sudden death.
During a conversation with People, Sam’s representative confirmed that it was not cancer but pneumonia that led to his sudden death. The rep also mentioned that before becoming sick, the Jurassic Park actor fought and beat lymphoma through a new kind of treatment called CAR-T therapy. In the past 12 months, Sam filmed four projects back-to-back and also ran his winery, Two Paddocks, shared his representative. Sam’s family will hold a private family memorial at his New Zealand farm at a later date. Speaking to People, Sam’s representative said:
"Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy. I’d like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time."
On July 13, 2026, Sam’s family shared a note confirming his death. They described his death as 'sudden' and 'unexpected.' They mentioned that during Sam’s final moments, he was surrounded by his near and dear ones. Since 2022, the Jurassic Park actor had been battling a rare and aggressive blood cancer called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. The note shared by Sam’s family on his Instagram handle can be read as:
"It is with immense sadness that the extended 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 loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. The family 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."
Sam Neill announced his cancer diagnosis in 2023. Speaking to The Guardian, Sam shared that he was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) in 2022. The legendary actor first realised something was wrong with his health when he noticed swollen glands while doing promotion for Jurassic World Dominion. Soon after, Sam learned that he had Stage 3 blood cancer. In his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This? Sam shared details about his cancer journey. After running a PET scan, Sam learned he had blood cancer. He wrote:
"I went back a week later when they were even bigger. This time (my doctor) sent me in to hospital for some tests. Within a few days, I was lying on a hospital bed having all kinds of chemicals draining into my system, killing everything aboard. For therapeutic reasons. To be cured of a thing I didn’t know I had just a few days ago. Yep, suddenly things are different — this is some serious s---."
Rest in peace, Sam Neill.
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