Overview
- Neill’s whānau announced that he died suddenly on Monday, July 13, in Sydney and that he was surrounded by family when he passed.
- The family said he “remained cancer free” after treatment and thanked staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care.
- Neill was first diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2022, wrote about the experience in a 2023 memoir, and in April 2026 said scans showed no cancer after receiving CAR T‑cell therapy in an Australian clinical trial; CAR T‑cell therapy is an immunotherapy that reprograms a patient’s immune cells to target cancer.
- His acting career spanned more than five decades and 150 screen credits, most famously as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films, and he is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
- Tributes from colleagues and political leaders noted his cultural impact in New Zealand and Australia, and the family said more details will be shared later as they manage private arrangements and public mourning.