Writing his 2023 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, also prompted him to reflect on his personal life.
Neill said the process had caused him to “reflect on how much gratitude I have for people like my mother, and the women who’ve been good to me.”
He admitted, “And some of that is not without regrets.”
His family announced his death in a statement shared on Instagram, which said: “It is with immense sadness that the whānau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
The statement continued: “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.”
Neill had first spoken publicly about his cancer diagnosis in 2023 after discovering the disease while promoting Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
He said, “I’m not in any way frightened of dying. That doesn’t worry me. It’s never worried me from the beginning, but I would be annoyed.
“I’d be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.”