New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Piano,’ dies at 78, his family says

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for “Jurassic Park” and “The Piano,” died Monday at 78, his family said.

His death in Sydney was “sudden and unexpected,” according to a statement posted to the actor’s social media page.

In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His family’s statement said “remained cancer free” when he died and didn’t specify a cause of death.

Neill was a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” to playing Holly Hunter’s husband in “The Piano.” He was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s, a list that includes Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong.

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