The actor died surrounded by family, according to a post on his official social media channels.
(Photo: Lawrence Smith)
Sam Neill and Judy Davis in My Brilliant Career (1979).
(Photo supplied)
Neill in a scene from the film Jurassic Park III (2001).
(Photo: Reuters)
Sam Neill in 1989, the year he appeared in Dead Calm.
(Photo: Fairfax)
Sam Neill pictured with journalist Laura Tingle in 2019. He said they had three wonderful years together before splitting in 2021.
Photo: Brendon Thorne / Getty Inages)
Vale Sam Neill: Honorary Australian who charmed on and off the screen
SAM NEILL September 14, 1947 – July 13, 2026
Handsome, talented and with an easy, gracious charm that delighted audiences, Sam Neill was a consummate professional with a stellar career who switched effortlessly between leading roles in Hollywood blockbusters, arthouse films and big-ticket television shows. Often compared to Cary Grant, the Northern Ireland-born, New Zealand-raised actor was an honorary Australian who kept a home in Sydney since the late 1970s and was ever loyal to the Australian film and television industry.
In 2023, Neill published his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?, in which he reflected on his life and career as he was undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancer. He wrote the book quickly because: “The truth was, I didn’t know how long I had to live. What I had was aggressive. I thought I’d better scribble down some stuff before I shuffle.”
In April this year, he told 7News he was cancer-free after undergoing a new treatment when the chemotherapy stopped working. “I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal, obviously,” Neill said, as he advocated for government funding for the revolutionary treatment called CAR T-cell therapy. “I’ve just had a scan now and there is no cancer in my body, this is an extraordinary thing.”
Sam Neill is survived by his brother, sister, four children and eight grandchildren.
Obituary by Amy Ripley
Additional reporting by Karl Quinn
The Age - July 13, 2026
Shared from Apple News
Handsome, talented and with an easy, gracious manner, the Northern Ireland-born actor was a consummate professional with a stellar career sp
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Related YouTube video >>
YouTube video : ABC TV program Australian Story - His Brilliant Careers • Sam Neill documentary [ABC 25 October 2023 / 30min.]:
As a tribute to the late Sam Neill, we look back over the actor’s dazzling career and recent health struggles.
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Related article >>
Sam Neill
(Photo: Carlo Allegri / AP)
Remembering the quiet genius of Sam Neill
I remember watching an interview with actor Sam Neill, who has died aged 78, saying “Good screen acting hints at secrets. At other lives underneath the veneer.”
At the time, I wondered what were these secrets Neill was referring to.
I just had to look at the vast body of Neill’s work, the characters he played, and how he played them to answer that question.
Neill’s ability at nuance made his roles so believable and authentic.
When we view his body of work, we can see Neill’s characters always have a significant level of intellect and astuteness. He was often cast in roles of men of intelligence, quiet authority or class. Neill was the reasonable, decent man everyone looked at for stability and strength when disaster fell, and all others were losing their heads.
He had this understated quality to many of his roles. Not being the overt method actor like many of his generation, he chose restraint and reason, embellishing his characters with a feeling of genuine realism.
Neill was able to relate emotion through slight facial expressions or minute vocal inflections. He could be equally delighted, menacing or upset with just a glance.
Neill uncovered the secrets in the lives of all of his characters, presented them to us in his own inimitable style and made even the most ordinary moments feel quietly extraordinary.
Obituary by Daryl Sparkes
The Conversation - July 13, 2026
Sam Neill has died at 78. He was an actor who chose restraint and reason, embellishing his characters with a feeling of genuine realism.
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