Veteran actor Sam Neill died from pneumonia, his longtime agent Philip Grenz has confirmed, seeking to put an end to what he described as “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods” surrounding the actor’s death. Deadline first reported the statement.
Neill’s family announced his death on Monday through Instagram. They said the Jurassic Park star died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 78 after his cancer had been successfully treated.
Grenz said he decided to disclose the cause of death to correct misleading media reports, although he did not specify which reports prompted the clarification.
He added that Neill, who valued his privacy, would be honoured with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand on a date yet to be announced.
“As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honour him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date,” Grenz said.
He also thanked those closest to the actor for respecting his privacy during what he described as an immeasurably difficult time for the family.
Grenz revealed that Neill had completed four projects over the past year, all of which are scheduled for release in the coming months. They include Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, a romantic comedy co-starring Daisy Ridley.
Tributes continued to pour in from across the film and television industry. Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy said he “adored” his former co-star, while director Steven Spielberg said: “Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Instead of sending flowers, Neill’s whānau — the Māori word for family — asked those wishing to honour his memory to support causes that were especially important to him.
They encouraged donations to the Dunstan Hospital Foundation, citing Neill’s deep connection to the Central Otago community and his commitment to maintaining high-quality healthcare in the region.
The family also highlighted the Snowdome Foundation, where Neill served as a patron and strongly supported equal access to life-saving blood cancer treatments, including CAR-T therapy, across Australia and New Zealand.
They further encouraged donations to New Zealand charities dedicated to protecting the country’s wildlife, native forests and natural environment, including the NZ Nature Fund and Sustainable Tarras.
