Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor who shined for decades in iconic big screen roles from films like The Hunt for Red October to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park to the Netflix hit series Peaky Blinders, passed on Monday. He was 78.
“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” Neill’s family said in a statement posted to Instagram. “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 statement said. Neill announced in April he was cancer-free after undergoing treatment for stage-three blood cancer. “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,” the statement concluded.
Neill’s acting career included more than 150 credits, including many cult classics like Event Horizon. His acting career began with the 1971 TV film The City of No. Neill is set to appear on the silver screen next March in the Warner Bros. epic Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.
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