'He was a Kiwi icon': Sir Sam Neill has died age 78

Beloved New Zealand actor Sir Sam Neill has died.

His family confirmed the death in a social media post tonight. He was 78.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia.

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.

“They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”

He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.

In April, Neill announced he was cancer-free after being diagnosed with a rare form of stage-three blood cancer. He revealed his diagnosis in 2023.

Neill said he underwent CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment that genetically modifies blood cells.

The actor lived in Central Otago and owned the Two Paddocks vineyards.

Neill was best known worldwide as the iconic paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster Jurassic Park, which premiered in 1993. The same year he starred as Alisdair Stewart in the Academy Award-winning film The Piano.

Neil began acting while studying at Canterbury University, where he gained a BA in English.

Neill’s breakthrough role came in the Kiwi classic Sleeping Dogs, a dramatic action-thriller that ultimately launched his cinematic career in 1977.

He earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the hit British miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies in 1983.

In 1991 he was awarded an OBE for services to acting.

Sam Neill, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello in Jurassic Park (1993).

Neill had told Australian outlet 7News earlier this year he was cancer-free after half a decade of unsuccessful treatment.

“I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years and I was on chemotherapy and the pretty miserable business but it was keeping me alive,” Neill said.

“Then the chemo stopped working. I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal obviously.”

Tributes quickly began to pour in for Neill from across the globe after news of his death.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Neill was “one of the greats” in a social media post.

Luxon said Neill “started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of. For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports”.

“His work will be watched and loved long after all of us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight. Rest in Peace.”

NZ First leader Winston Peters also shared a tribute online.

“Sad news to hear that Sam Neill has passed away today,” he wrote on X.

“He was a Kiwi icon through his work in both local and Hollywood films that entertained people around the world over decades. Thoughts and prayers are with family and friends at this sad time.”

Sir Sam Neill. The Kiwi acting legend has received a knighthood for his contribution to film. Photo / Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the late star.

“Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories, and he earned a special place in Australian hearts,” he said on X.

“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he grew up watching Sam Neill, describing him as “a giant of the screen who took our stories to the world and yet still felt like one of us”.

“Sam loved New Zealand and advocated for its people and places, well beyond his work on film. He had a strong sense of social justice and regularly advocated for the underdog.

“Sam made us proud to be Kiwis and we couldn’t have been prouder of him.

Actor Frances Barber also posted on X: “My heart is sore, I loved Sam, one of the most beautiful men I ever knew”.

Neill was also known and loved for his role as Uncle Hec in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which first premiered in 2016.

In 2026, the year the film celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and Neill told RNZ: “You had no idea what was going to happen there [at Sundance when the film first premiered], whether the American audience were going to respond to it at all, but they were amazing”.

In recent years, Neill starred in legal drama The Twelve, alongside Kiwi actor Danielle Cormack. Speaking to the Herald, Cormack said getting a chance to work with Neill was a key decider in taking the role.

She called their on-screen and off-screen pairing “a perfect fit”.

“I was literally working alongside him, having to sit at a desk for days and days on end next to him – he brings such a great energy to the set.”

Cormack says she found joy in building a rapport with Neill, battling it out over crosswords, and developing a dynamic similar to their characters, Colby and Nicholls, who have a strong camaraderie yet with a competitive edge.

“That was sort of naturally taken on board by osmosis and our work relationship. And it was just marvellous to watch him work. He’s incredibly generous.”

John Clarke and Sam Neill in the 1990 black comedy Death in Brunswick, which is set in Melbourne.

This year Neill also won his third Logie, television award in Australia, this time the Silver Logie for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his performance as defence lawyer Brett Colby in legal drama The Twelve.

Neill previously won Most Outstanding Actor (2005) and Most Popular Actor (2023) at the Australian television awards.

He revealed in 2023 that his birth name was Nigel John Dermott Neill, and said changing his name early on after getting “fed up with Nigel” was the “best decision” of his life.

In his book Did I Ever Tell You This, Neill wrote: “The one thing I resent about my parents, the only thing, is that they called me Nigel. Changing my name to Sam at the age of 11 was probably the best decision I made in my life”.

Neill’s Central Otago winery Two Paddocks specialised in Pinot Noir that he established in 1993. He told the Herald in 2024 it was in his blood to be in the wine and spirit industry, as his family has been ever since they arrived in New Zealand in 1861.

“It’s been a very rewarding thing for me to be part of such a young industry, and I think we’ve done wonderful things in Central Otago. I’m very proud of my wine.

“You take your work seriously, but never, ever take yourself seriously – that’s where the madness lies.”

In 2025, he received the prestigious New Zealand Screen Legend Award at the annual New Zealand Screen Awards, honouring his five-decade legacy in television and film.

Neill also received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Canterbury in 2002.

New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Annie Murray told Newstalk ZB Neill’s death was a “huge loss to New Zealand and to the world”.

Murray recalled Neill’s versatility across the film industry, taking on major blockbusters and small independent films.

“He hosted as well as produced documentaries for film and for television, so he was a very versatile and highly respected actor and producer. He will be sorely missed.”

She described him as “one of the genuine good guys” noting his generosity and gentle soul.

“I think there’s something to be said for people who are really kind with children and with animals and that was Sam.”