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Sam Neill's Cause Of Death Revealed

By Katie Monks

16/07/2026

Est. Reading: 3 minutes

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill died of pneumonia, according to his agent.

The BBC revealed that Neill's agent, Philip Grenz, confirmed his cause of death after a conversation with the actors family. They wished to correct any inaccurate and "outright falsehoods" in the media.

Neill's family announced his death, in their statement they said: "It is with immense sadness that the whānau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia", the statement read. "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," the statement continued.

Credit: Instagram @samneilltheprop

Neill, who passed away on Monday, 13th July, had been battling a form of blood cancer for four years. In April of this year, the actor confirmed that he was cancer free.

Speaking on Neill's cause of death, Grenz said: “As Sam Neill’s longtime rep, I spoke with his family and wish to clarify some details for his fans,” Grenz said in his statement. “Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy."

“I’d like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time," Grenz continued.

His longtime agent also confirmed in his statement that Neill had filmed four films, one after another, all of which are set to be released in the next few months.

Since Neill's death, many film stars and celebrities have been paying their respects online. The Hollywood Reporter revealed a statement from Steven Spielberg paying tribute to the late actor.

Spielberg said: "I owe a debt of gratitude to [directors] Roger Donaldson, Gillian Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park."

"Sam was exceptionally collaborative. It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children. I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him. Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family, and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world," his statement continued.

Jeff Goldblum also paid tribute to Neill as he posted photos of himself and Neill with co-star Laura Dern. His caption read: "The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever. 🦕💕"