Director Colin Trevorrow, Australian PM, celebs pay tribute
Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in Jurassic Park to playing Holly Hunter’s husband in The Piano, has died. He was 78.
In 2023, Neill disclosed he had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neill died on Monday in Sydney, according to a statement posted to the actor’s social media page.
His death was ‘sudden and unexpected,’ the statement said, adding that he ‘remained cancer-free’ when he died. A cause of death wasn’t specified. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,’ his family wrote.
Actor came to world’s notice with Dead Calm and My Brilliant Career’. Neill was one of a host of actors and directors who achieved international fame after an explosion of Australian films that began in the late 1970s, a list that includes Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Jane Campion, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong. His range was remarkable, playing opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy Sweet Revenge to chopping off Hunter’s finger in The Piano to poking his own eyes out in the sci-fi horror Event Horizon. Filmmaker Colin Trevorrow, known for his work across Chris Pratt-starrer Jurassic World films, paid his heartfelt tribute to late actor Sam Neill. In an emotional message for his collaborator and friend, Colin Trevorrow, who directed Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, wrote, “Sam Neill was a deeply soulful and beautiful man. He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength. I’ll remember him for his tranquillity, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters. Tributes also poured in from the late actor’s fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban, who wrote, ‘an inspiration for many who followed in his trailblazing footsteps. A beautiful man, a national treasure who gave so much to New Zealand and the to world. God speed Sam.’
Actor-filmmaker Alan Cumming wrote, ‘Ahhh Sam, what a glorious beautiful man. You are missed. Sorry to the family for your immense loss.’
French actor Sebastian Roche added, ‘Such sad news. I worked with Sam on Merlin and not only was he a brilliant actor but he was such a wonderful person as well. Thank you for kindness and humour fabulous Sam.’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remembered Sam Neill’s performance in “many Australian stories” and wrote, ‘Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts. Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance. He will be much mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.’ New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrote, ‘Sir Sam Neill was one of the greats. He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of. For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports.’
Oscar-nominated actor Toni Collette, who starred with Neill in A Long Way Down and Dirty Deeds, described him as a ‘sweetheart’. (Agencies)
