Actor Sam Neill dies at 78

By — Mark Kennedy, Associated Press Mark Kennedy, Associated Press By — Charlotte Graham-McLay, Associated Press Charlotte Graham-McLay, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/actor-sam-neill-dies-at-78 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Actor Sam Neill dies at 78 Arts Jul 13, 2026 12:34 PM EDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sam Neill, the smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose prolific career moved from art films to blockbusters as he dodged velociraptors in "Jurassic Park" and played Holly Hunter's husband in "The Piano," has died. He was 78. In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He died on Monday in Sydney, according to a statement posted to the actor's social media page. READ MORE: Anthony Head, British actor known for 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' dies at 72 His death was "sudden and unexpected," the statement said, adding that he "remained cancer free" when he died. A cause of death wasn't specified. "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life," his family wrote. Tributes were paid by fellow actors: "Condolences and appreciation for the immense joy and mastery Sam Neill brought our industry," Sharon Lawrence wrote on Instagram. Sebastian Roché, who worked with Neill on "Merlin," said: "Not only was he a brilliant actor, but he was such a wonderful person as well." Actor came to world's notice with 'Dead Calm' and 'My Brilliant Career' Neill 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. His range was remarkable, playing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy "Sweet Revenge" to chopping off Hunter's finger in "The Piano" to poking his own eyes out in the sci-fi horror "Event Horizon." He portrayed both saintly and sinner: In "Omen III: The Final Conflict," he played Damien the Antichrist and he also played Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in "The Tudors." READ MORE: Tony-nominated actor Mary Beth Hurt dies at 79 The actor first came to the attention of international audiences in Armstrong's 1979 film "My Brilliant Career," which also introduced Judy Davis. He later appeared in Phillip Noyce's "Dead Calm," a classy thriller set at sea and co-starring the then-relatively unknown Nicole Kidman. Neill twice co-starred with Meryl Streep, in Australian director Fred Schepisi's "Plenty" and — again for Schepisi — in "A Cry in the Dark," a film about the sensationalized aftermath of a dingo killing a baby in the Australian Outback. He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in the title role of the 1998 miniseries "Merlin" and another as narrator of 2017's "Wild New Zealand." Neill also