Jurassic Park Star Sam Neill Dies from Pneumonia After Battling Lymphoma

Sam Neill, the acclaimed actor known for his role in Jurassic Park, passed away at age 78 due to pneumonia, his manager Philip Grant confirmed to TMZ overnight between Wednesday and Thursday. Prior to contracting pneumonia, Neill had bravely fought lymphoma and overcame it with a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.

In the past year, alongside managing his award-winning winery Two Paddocks, Neill completed filming four projects expected to be released or distributed in the coming months. One of the supporting actresses from these projects had earlier revealed that Neill was suffering from pneumonia before his death, which has now been confirmed as the cause.

Neill died on Monday at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, with his death described as sudden and unexpected. A private farewell ceremony will be held at Neill's farm in New Zealand for family and friends, with no public memorial or event planned, respecting his wish to avoid public attention.

His family has requested that those wishing to honor his memory refrain from sending flowers and instead donate to causes close to Neill's heart, including the Dunstan Hospital Foundation, Snowdome Foundation, and New Zealand organizations dedicated to sustainability and wildlife conservation such as the NZ Nature Fund and Sustainable Tarras.