Jurassic Park Actor Sam Neill Confirmed to Have Died From Pneumonia

Sam Neill attends the Photo Call for Ovation at 2019 Winter TCA at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena in Pasadena, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2019. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty ImagesA long-time representative of legendary actor Sam Neill has set the record straight on his death.Best known for roles in Jurassic Park and more recently Peaky Blinders, Neill died of pneumonia on Monday aged 78, it has now been confirmed.Representative Philip Grenz confirmed the cause of death after global media coverage which he described as containing “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.”“As Sam Neill’s longtime rep, I spoke with his family and wish to clarify some details for his fans,” the Los Angeles-based agent said in a statement to AAP.“Sam passed away from pneumonia.”His death at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney came three months after Neill announced he was cancer-free from stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.He was diagnosed with the rare, aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2022.“Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy,” Grenz said.He also revealed Neill filmed four projects back-to-back over his last 12 months with their releases coming soon.Grenz noted his family will honour him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a later date.Since his passing millions have paid tribute to the actor who made a name for himself in Hollywood but always returned to his Kiwi roots and Australia where he also made an impact on the film industry.“Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world,” said critically acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, who worked with Neill on the Jurassic Park movies.Fellow co-star Laura Dern also paid tribute to the New Zealand actor.“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend. He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness, and love, always with the driest of wit,” she said on Instagram.“He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man.”Neill was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to film” and is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.By Farid Farid in Sydney.