Sam Neill, Iconic Jurassic Park Actor, Dies at 78

Mon Sep 14 2026 07:18:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Legendary New Zealand actor known for Jurassic Park and film career passes away at 78.

New Zealand native Sam Neill has died at 78 after a storied career that includes his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, early appearances in The Omen III and The Hunt for Red October, and later achievements in Peaky Blinders and the Merlin television series.

Sam Neill, the celebrated New Zealand actor best known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in Stephen Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, has died at the age of 78.

Neill’s career, spanning more than four decades, showcased a breadth of genres. He began with a dramatic role as the adult antichrist Damien in The Omen III (1981) and moved to Hollywood’s big screen in the late 1980s with the psychological thriller Dead Calm alongside Nicole Kidman. The 1990 submarine thriller The Hunt for Red October saw him share the screen with Sir Sean Connery, while his turn in Jane Campion’s Oscar‑winning drama The Piano (1993) highlighted his dramatic range.

He returned to the dinosaur world in Jurassic Park III (2001) and revisited the franchise again in Jurassic World Dominion (2022), completing a historic trilogy of dinosaur adventures. Outside film, Neill portrayed Merlin in the 1998 fantasy series Merlin and later appeared as the formidable Major Chester Campbell in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders, cementing his status in both cinematic and television circles.