The actor died in Sydney in what his family described as a “sudden and unexpected” passing, according to a statement shared on his official social media page.
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the family said.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free,” the statement added.
Neill had announced in April that he was cancer-free after undergoing treatment for blood cancer for five years.
The New Zealand actor gained international acclaim for his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, a role he reprised in several sequels. He also starred as Holly Hunter’s husband in The Piano.
Neill was among a generation of actors and filmmakers who rose to international prominence during the Australian film boom that began in the late 1970s. His contemporaries included Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir, and Gillian Armstrong.
Known for his remarkable versatility, Neill delivered memorable performances across a wide range of genres. He starred opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy Sweet Revenge, portrayed a ruthless husband in The Piano, and played the tormented Dr. William Weir in the sci-fi horror film Event Horizon.
In Omen III: The Final Conflict, he portrayed Damien Thorn, the Antichrist. He also played Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the historical drama series The Tudors.
Neill first gained the attention of international audiences with Gillian Armstrong’s 1979 film My Brilliant Career, which also introduced Judy Davis. He later appeared in Phillip Noyce’s thriller Dead Calm, co-starring the then-rising Nicole Kidman.
He worked alongside Meryl Streep in Australian director Fred Schepisi’s Plenty and reunited with her in A Cry in the Dark, a film based on the highly publicized case involving the death of a baby in the Australian Outback. Neill earned an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the title role of the 1998 miniseries Merlin and received another nomination as the narrator of the 2017 documentary Wild New Zealand.
Neill reached the height of his international fame through his portrayal of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, one of cinema’s most iconic adventure franchises.
