CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Legendary British-New Zealand actor and entrepreneur Sam Neill, known for his roles in the Jurassic Park films, has died, his family stated.
Neill died Monday in Sydney, Australia, aged 78.
'It is with immense sadness that the whanau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing,' his family said the statement posted on Instagram, using the Maori word for extended family or community.
'The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,' the statement adds.
In March 2023, Neill revealed that he had been undergoing chemotherapy since March 2022 after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, known as stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
In April, Neill said that a recent scan showed no cancer in his body.
In his career spanning more than five decades, Neill starred in dozens of films and television series.
It included leading roles in both independent films and blockbusters most notably as Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park series of films.
He came to international prominence as Dr. Alan Grant in 1993, a role he reprised in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Considered an 'international leading man', he was regarded as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
His other best-known films include the Oscar-winning The Piano, The Hunt For Red October and Event Horizon.
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