What did Sam Neill, star of ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’, die of? The actor’s family broke their silence about his passing

Sam Neill was going through one of the most peaceful moments of his life. Months earlier he had publicly stated that he had managed to overcome the cancer he faced in recent years. 

Therefore, the news of his death, confirmed this Monday, July 13 by his family, took fans and the film industry by surprise.

In the statement published on the actor’s official Instagram account, the family informed that Sam Neill died on Monday, July 13 in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by his loved ones.

Those close to him described his death as “sudden and unexpected” and, although they did not reveal a specific cause of death, they made a clarification that quickly drew attention.

“The loss was sudden and unexpected, but it comforts us to know that Sam remained cancer-free,” the message from his family states.

The statement does not provide an official cause of death, but it rules out that the actor died from the cancer he had suffered.

The family also thanked the staff of St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney for the care provided during his last days and asked for respect for their privacy as they go through mourning.

The clarification is relevant because Neill himself had publicly stated that in 2023 he was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

The actor explained that he began to notice swelling in the lymph nodes during the promotional tour of ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ in 2022, and subsequently started medical treatment.

During that process, he spoke openly about the illness and the possibility of death.

“I am prepared for that. I know it will happen, but I really don’t care. It’s out of my control”, he said in one of his interviews from those years.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and nodes that is part of the immune system and helps the body fight infections.

According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), this disease occurs when certain white blood cells, called lymphocytes, begin to multiply abnormally and accumulate in lymph nodes and other organs.

Among the most common symptoms is painless swelling of lymph nodes, especially in the neck, armpits, or groin.

The NHS notes that there are different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, some slow-growing and others more aggressive, although most cases can be treated with currently available treatments.

Meanwhile, Neill said he began to notice something was wrong during the promotional tour of ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’, when he observed that his lymph nodes in the neck were swollen.

He later started chemotherapy, a treatment that, according to him, made him lose his hair and completely change his physical appearance.

In an interview with the ‘BBC’, he said that when he looked in the mirror he saw “an old, bald, and withered man,” although he said the strongest emotional impact was losing his beard. “More than anything, I want to get my beard back. I don’t like the look of my face at all,” he assured.

In April of this year Sam Neill revealed that he no longer showed signs of the disease, so he was in remission, according to ‘Variety’.

Precisely for this reason, the family decided to include that information in the statement confirming his death, making it clear that cancer was not the cause of his death.

So far no official information has been given about what caused the actor’s death, so the specific medical circumstances remain undisclosed by his family.

What they did express is that they will share more details about the events related to his farewell in the coming days, while the entertainment world continues to pay tribute to one of the most recognized figures in contemporary cinema.

EL TIEMPO