Jurassic Park Star Sam Neill's Cause of Death Revealed

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Sam Neill Battled Pneumonia Before His Death, His Costar Says

More information has come to light after Sam Neill’s passing.

Three days after the Jurassic Park star died at the age of 78, his manager Philip Grenz confirmed to TMZ that Neill died of pneumonia, and that his passing was unrelated to his 2022 lymphoma diagnosis, having been declared cancer-free earlier this year.

For Neill’s friends and loved ones, they suspected he would have spoken about his health battle the same light-hearted way he did about his cancer—like it was nothing more than a nuisance.

As his friend and Hunt for the Wilder People costar Rima Te Wiata told the New Zealand Herald, “I think he would be like, ‘For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?’”

And though Te Wiata finds comfort in knowing her friend is on “his big journey now,” she suspected he would've been “annoyed” by the way in which he went.

Indeed, the sentiment is one with which she echoed Neill nearly word for word, with the Peaky Blinders alum previously sharing how the only reason he was reticent to die was for the daily wonders he’d be leaving behind on his New Zealand farm.

"I'm not afraid to die, but it would annoy me," he quipped to The Guardian in March 2023. "Because I'd really like another decade or two, you know? We've built all these lovely terraces, we've got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I've got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big."

But as challenging as the initial days of his diagnosis and challenging treatments were, they also helped him appreciate life’s quieter joys.

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“Those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know,” he added to The Guardian, “and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive."

And on July 13, the day he did proceed on his “big journey,” Neill was surrounded by those loved ones, his family confirmed, noting he “passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life.”

“The loss was sudden and unexpected,” they wrote, “but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free."

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As news of Neill’s death was shared, tributes began pouring in for the beloved actor, whose filmography includes the Jurassic Park franchise, The Hunt for Red October and Event Horizon, among countless over movies and TV show appearances.

Among those sharing their love for Neill was his Jurassic Park costar Laura Dern, who referred to him as a “beloved lifetime friend.”

“He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit,” she shared in a statement with E! News. "He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant."

For a closer look at Neill’s life, read on.

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1981

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1993

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1999

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2008

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2012

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