This browser does not support the Video element.
Sam Neill dies at 78
Actor Sam Neill played the leading man in 'Jurassic Park.' He died 'unexpectedly' at the age of 78.
Actor Sam Neill’s cause of death has been revealed by his agent.
The "Jurassic Park" actor, who was from New Zealand, died Monday in Sydney, Australia.
Sam Neill’s cause of death
What they're saying:
"Sam passed away from pneumonia," his agent Philip Grenz told The Associated Press. "Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy."
Grenz said he opted to release details after speaking with Neill's family. He said he wanted to correct news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
FILE: Actor Sam Neill attends a press conference during day 9 of the 52nd edition of the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival on October 11, 2019 in Sitges, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)
What's next:
"As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date," Grenz said.
RELATED: Celebrity deaths of 2026: The entertainers and artists we lost this year
Neill had filmed four projects "back-to-back" during the past year that are due to be released in the coming months, Grenz said.
Sam Neill’s life
The backstory:
Neill gained international fame after a series of Australian movies in the late 1970s. In the U.S., he was best known for his role in the "Jurassic Park" franchise. In New Zealand, he was described as a friendly, unassuming person who didn’t live like a celebrity. He was also known for his philanthropy to causes near his home.
Neill was also a winemaker who produced pinot noir and riesling wines from his winery on New Zealand’s South Island.
"Sam was exceptionally collaborative," said Steven Spielberg, who helmed the first "Jurassic Park" movie, in which Neill played paleontologist Alan Grant.
"I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him," Spielberg said in a statement. "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."
Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In April, he said he was cancer-free.
CAR-T therapy is a form of immunotherapy based on an individual's T cells and is used for several types of blood cancer.
He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.