JURASSIC Park and Peaky Blinders star Sam Neill’s cause of death was pneumonia, his agent has confirmed.
The New Zealand actor passed away in hospital on Monday at the age of 78 after a “sudden and unexpected” health battle.
Long-time agent Philip Grenz released a statement confirming the pneumonia diagnosis on Thursday.
He said he spoke to Sam’s grieving family and agreed they needed to clear up “inaccurate and outright falsehoods” around his death.
Grenz added that during the past year, Sam had “filmed four projects back-to-back”.
They will all be released within the coming months, he added.
A family statement announcing Sam’s death at the start of the week read: “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.”
Sam was diagnosed with stage three blood cancer in 2022 while promoting Jurassic World Dominion, but underwent pioneering treatment.
When he revealed his cancer, Sam said he wasn’t afraid of dying despite fighting with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma — a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In his final few weeks, the Kiwi actor posted several life updates where he was seen beaming at an awards show in his last Instagram photo.
The acting stalwart, who was born in Northern Ireland but grew up in New Zealand, is best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the dinosaur franchise, beginning in 1993.
His successful movie and television career spans five decades and includes varied roles from The Piano, to The Zookeeper and even Peaky Blinders.
Sam shot to international fame after an explosion of Australian films from the late 1970s onwards launched the careers of several actors and directors.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Neil as “wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic”.
He wrote on X: “Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts.”
Sam is survived by four children – Tim, Andrew, Elena and Waiko.
The Neill family will hold a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand some time soon, Grenz confirmed.
He added: “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.”