Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill dies aged 78 | Story

The New Zealand star’s death in Sydney was “sudden and unexpected”, according to a family statement.

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for the films “Jurassic Park” and “The Piano”, has died aged 78, his family said.

His death in Sydney was “sudden and unexpected”, according to a statement posted on the athlete’s website on Monday.

In 2023, Neill revealed that he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

His family said he “remained cancer-free” at the time of his death and did not say what caused his death.

Neill was a successful, charismatic and versatile actor whose career went from art film to blockbuster, dodging velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” and playing Holly Hunter’s husband in “The Piano”.

He was one of the actors and directors who gained international recognition after the explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s, a list that included Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hailed the actor as “one of the greats”.

“He started when there was no film industry in this country to speak of. For over fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talent helped shape our film industry into what it is today – one of our biggest cultural exports,” Luxon wrote in a social media post.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute.

“Sad and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought the disease with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to all his actions. He will be deeply missed and will be remembered for a long time.