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Sam Neill Dies at 78, Family Confirms

He had publicly announced in April that CAR T‑cell therapy had cleared his blood cancer.

Overview

  • Neill’s family announced that he died suddenly on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Sydney and that he was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.
  • The family’s Instagram statement said the loss was unexpected, noted he “remained cancer‑free,” thanked staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, and asked for privacy; it did not give a cause of death.
  • A co‑star later told reporters Neill contracted pneumonia before he died, but that account is a single‑source report and has not been confirmed by the family or the hospital.
  • Neill was first diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T‑cell lymphoma in 2022, received chemotherapy and then CAR T‑cell therapy in a clinical trial, and said in April 2026 that scans showed no remaining cancer.
  • Colleagues and political leaders in Australia and New Zealand paid tribute to his five‑decade career, and the family indicated further details may be released at a later time.