Sam Neill pictured for the final time: Jurassic Park star looked happy and healthy as he attended the Aria Hall Of Fame Awards just four weeks ago – before his ‘sudden and unexpected’ death aged 78
Sam Neill was photographed for the last time before his ‘sudden and unexpected’ death aged 78, in a sweet post shared on his Instagram profile four weeks ago.
It was announced on Monday that the star had passed away, just months after announcing he was ‘cancer-free’ after a long battle with a form of blood cancer.
The New Zealand-born actor, who starred in blockbuster films such as Jurassic Park, was taken to hospital in Sydney before his ‘sudden and unexpected’ death.
In her latest Instagram post, Sam looked happy and healthy while attending the Aria Hall Of Fame Awards; Meanwhile, he praised several award recipients at the event, including Australian singer Kate Ceberano and New Zealand singer Jenny Morris.
Sam, who also honored New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and sisters Vika and Linda, wrote alongside a sweet selfie with Kate: ‘ARIA HALL of FAME awards! A great night in Sydney… Four women I have idolized for decades were honored…
Sam Neill was last photographed before his ‘sudden and unexpected’ death aged 78, in a sweet post shared on his Instagram profile four weeks ago.
On Monday, it was announced that the star had passed away, just months after announcing he was ‘cancer-free’ following a long battle with a form of blood cancer (captured in 2025).
‘JENNY MORRIS, KATE CEBERANO and VIKA and LNDA BULL. Jenny was inducted into the Hall by no less than our former New Zealand Prime Minister, JACında ARDERN. Another hero.’
Confirming his death, Sam’s family said: ‘It is with great sadness that Sam Neill’s whānau (family) share the news of his death in Sydney Australia on Monday 13 July…
‘Sam was surrounded by his family and lived with the dignity that had characterized his entire life… The loss was sudden and unexpected, but it was gratifying that Sam remained cancer-free…
‘They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff of 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 cope with this immeasurable loss.’ [sic]
In April, Neill, known for his role as Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park series, announced that tests determined that he did not have cancer.
In an interview with Channel Seven, Neill described how close he came to death after the chemotherapy started working. An expensive, cutting-edge treatment extended his life.
Shared photo of singing sisters Vika and Linda Bull
She also posted a photo of Jenny Morris and Jacinda Ardern (LR) at the ARIA Awards.
Neill said: ‘I’ve been living with a certain type of lymphoma for about five years and I was having chemotherapy and doing a pretty miserable job but it was keeping me alive.
‘Then the chemotherapy stopped working. ‘I was beside myself and it looked like I was heading for the exit, which was definitely not ideal.’
Neill underwent a special treatment called CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically modifies the patient’s own T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Private treatment costs around AUD 540,000.
‘I’ve just had a scan and there is no cancer in my body, which is extraordinary. “I’m very, very excited that this could happen,” he said at the time.
The treatment is currently in clinical trials to treat another blood cancer, myeloma.
Neill also said he plans to return to acting. ‘It’s time for me to make another movie,’ he said.
Neill played Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park series (pictured)
Neill first publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2023, after initially experiencing swollen glands after being diagnosed with cancer the previous year.
While promoting Jurassic World Dominion in 2022, he learned he had stage three blood cancer.
In this film, he reprized his role as Grant, alongside his original co-stars Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, as well as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
He told Australian Story at the time: ‘I’m not afraid of dying in any way. This doesn’t worry me. It never worried me to begin with, but I would get angry.
‘I would get angry because there were still things I wanted to do. Very annoying and lethal. But I’m not afraid of it.’
Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland to a British mother and a New Zealand father, first revealed the news of his illness in the first chapter of his memoir, Did I Tell You That?, in which he wrote that he was ‘probably dying’.
Evaluating the life of that period, the experienced actor once again said that he was not afraid of death and said, ‘I am not afraid of dying. But it would bother me. Because I’d really like another ten or twenty years, you know?’
