Jurassic Park star Sam Neill is dead

Veteran New Zealand actor Sam Neill, widely known for his roles in Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders, has died at the age of 78.

His family announced his death in a statement posted on the actor’s social media page on Monday.

The family described his death in Sydney, Australia, as “sudden and unexpected” but did not disclose the cause. It added that Neill was cancer-free at the time of his death.

Neill had previously battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He publicly discussed the diagnosis in 2023 and later announced that treatment had left him free of the disease.

The actor achieved worldwide recognition for playing palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.

He later returned to the role in Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion, becoming one of the most recognisable faces associated with the long-running film franchise.

Neill also appeared in the popular British crime drama Peaky Blinders, playing Chief Inspector Chester Campbell, the determined police officer sent to Birmingham to confront Tommy Shelby and his criminal organisation.

He featured prominently in the first two seasons as one of the show’s major antagonists, acting opposite Cillian Murphy, who played Shelby.

His extensive acting career also included performances in The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm, Event Horizon, The Tudors and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Neill moved comfortably between independent films, television productions and major Hollywood blockbusters during a career spanning more than five decades.

Born in Northern Ireland in 1947, Neill moved to New Zealand with his family as a child and became one of the country’s most internationally recognised actors.

Away from acting, he operated a vineyard in New Zealand and gained another generation of admirers through humorous social media posts about life on his farm and his animals.

Neill published his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, in 2023, where he reflected on his career, family and cancer battle.