Sam Neill, "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano" star, dies at 78
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
Updated on: July 13, 2026 / 2:34 AM EDT / CBS/AP
Wellington, New Zealand — Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in "Jurassic Park" to playing Holly Hunter's husband in "The Piano," has died. He was 78.
In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neill died on Monday in Sydney, according to a family statement posted to the actor's social media page.
His death was "sudden and unexpected," the statement said, adding that he "remained cancer free" when he died. A cause of death wasn't specified.
Neill disclosed this year that he was cancer-free thanks to a genetic therapy that modified his immune system, French news agency AFP says.
"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life," his family wrote.