Sam Neill, the actor known for roles in "Jurassic Park," "The Piano" and other celebrated films, died from pneumonia this week, his agent told The Associated Press. He was 78.
Neill's death in Sydney, Australia, was announced Monday by his family. According to his agent, Philip Grenz, the family will later hold a private memorial service at Neill's farm in New Zealand.
Grenz said he was sharing more details after speaking with Neill's family and responding to news reports that included inaccuracies. He said Neill had recently battled lymphoma and recovered through CAR-T therapy.
Neill revealed in 2023 that he had a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, and said in April that he was in remission. His agent said Neill had filmed four projects over the past year that are expected to be released in the coming months.
Tributes from colleagues have continued since his death was announced. Director Taika Waititi and filmmaker Steven Spielberg were among those who remembered Neill as kind, witty and collaborative, and Spielberg said he would never be forgotten by the "Jurassic" family or his fans worldwide.
