The news of Sam Neill’s death shocked the film industry on July 13. The renowned actor, remembered worldwide for his role in Jurassic Park (1993), passed away last Monday at the age of 78.
In an initial statement, the family reported that his death was “sudden and unexpected”, without providing further details about the causes of his death.
Neill spent his last years facing blood cancer diagnosed in 2022, while participating in the promotional tour of Jurassic World: Dominion, a film that marked the long-awaited reunion with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.
The actor was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of hematologic cancer, a disease he fought in recent years.
However, from the beginning the family ruled out that this diagnosis was related to his death. “We are comforted to know that Sam remained cancer-free,” they said, recalling that last April the actor had positive results after treatment.
In fact, far from thinking about retirement in recent years, Sam Neill continued working until his last months. His representative, Philip Grenz, assured that during the last year “he filmed four consecutive projects, all of which will be released in the coming months,” according to the BBC.
This Thursday, Philip Grenz issued a statement to confirm the cause of Sam Neill’s death and put an end to the speculations that arose after the actor’s passing.
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After speaking with Neill’s family, the representative explained that he decided to clarify what he called “imprecise and blatant falsehoods” spread by some media outlets.
Grenz reiterated that the actor had managed to overcome lymphoma and was cancer-free at the time of his death.
“Sam died of pneumonia. Before falling ill, Sam had bravely fought lymphoma and had beaten it thanks to a new treatment called CAR-T therapy,” he said.
He also informed that the family will hold a tribute in New Zealand, the country where Sam Neill grew up, although the date of the ceremony has not yet been confirmed.
Finally, Grenz thanked those who showed affection after the actor’s death and called for respect for the mourning of his loved ones.
“I would like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for respecting his privacy, with the respect he earned and that his loved ones need and deserve during this immensely difficult time,” he concluded.
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