Sam Neill’s Cause Of Death Revealed To End “Outright Falsehoods”

Sam Neill died from pneumonia, according to his agent.

Philip Grenz, the longtime representative of the Jurassic Park actor, said he was disclosing the cause of death to end “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods” in media reporting. Grenz was not specific about the problematic press reports.

Neill’s death at the age of 78 was confirmed on Monday by his family on Instagram. They said his passing was “sudden and unexpected,” and came after his cancer had been successfully treated.

Grenz said: “As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date.

“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.”

He added that Neill “had filmed four projects back-to-back during the past year, all of which will be released within the coming months.” These include Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, a romantic comedy co-starring Daisy Ridley.

Tributes were paid to Neill from across the film and TV community. Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy said he “adored” his co-star, while Steven Spielberg added: “Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”

Grenz’s statement continued: “For those who wish to honor Sam’s memory, in lieu of flowers his whañau (a Māori word for ‘family’), ask that donations be made to one of the causes he cared about most deeply:

“The Dunstan Hospital Foundation: Sam had a profound connection to the Central Otago community and was a passionate supporter of ensuring world-class healthcare remained accessible to the people of the region he called home.

“The Snowdome Foundation: As a Patron of Snowdome, Sam was a tireless advocate for equitable access to life-saving blood cancer treatments including CAR-T therapy in Australia and New Zealand. This cause was deeply personal to him.

“Or an NZ charity or fund that supports the sustainability, protection and preservation of New Zealand’s wildlife, native bush and land, such as the NZ Nature Fund and Sustainable Tarras.”