Universal Pictures
'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill passed away at the age of 78 years old
Tributes are pouring in following the passing of actor Sam Neill, a beloved New Zealand actor who most famously starred in Jurassic Park. Neill was 78 years old.
On Monday, July 13, Sam Neill’s family shared the news of his death on social media, saying that it was “sudden and unexpected.” Neill was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2022 before going into remission in 2023.
In April he announced that he was cancer free, which his family said remained the case at the time of his death.
In addition to his starring role in Steven Spielberg’s seminal 1993 film Jurassic Park, Neill’s most notable projects include Dead Calm, Possession, The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, In the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon, Peaky Blinders, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Hollywood stars such as Steven Spielberg, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and more have all shared statements about Sam Neill’s passing
Steven Spielberg provided the following statement to Variety:
“The director said he was ‘saddened’ by the news of Neill’s death. ‘I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park,’ he continued, referencing Neill’s earlier movies Sleeping Dogs, My Brilliant Career, The Final Conflict and Dead Calm.
“Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him. Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Nicole Kidman, whom he starred with in Dead Calm, said she was “immensely saddened by the news.”
“Sam was one of the greats, a joy to be around,” she said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “We met when I was just 18 and he took me under his wing and we stayed friends for life. He was charming, kind, funny and intelligent. He will be greatly missed, and my heart goes out to his family.”
Laura Dern, his Jurassic Park co-star, released the following statement:
“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit. A true and noble gentleman, who was wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”
Sam Neil.
Kind, wise, impish, graceful, warm.
The last time I saw him I took the opportunity to tell him he was an inspiration to me.
Rest in Peace Sam.
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) July 13, 2026
“Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors. RIP,” Peaky Blinders co-star Cillian Murphy told Deadline.
Fellow Jurassic franchise star Chris Pratt, who starred alongside Neill in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, wrote in an Instagram story that he was “devastated” to hear of the actor’s death.
“It was a privilege getting to work with him,” Pratt wrote. “All the laughs and memories, I’ll cherish forever. He is a true legend.”
Fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban, who worked alongside Neill in Thor: Ragnarok, wrote on the Instagram post announcing his death:
“An inspiration for many who followed in his trailblazing footsteps. A beautiful man, a national treasure who gave so much to New Zealand and the world. God speed Sam.”
Neill’s most recent performances include Jurassic World Dominion and Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022 and the 2025 Netflix series Untamed. He also wrapped production on the still-unreleased films The Last Resort and Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.
Our thoughts are with Neill’s friend, family, fans and various loved ones at this difficult time. Rest in Peace.