JURASSIC PARK STAR SAM NEILL DIES AT 78, FAMILY SAYS DEATH WAS ‘SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED’.(PHOTO).

 Jurassic Park star Sam Neill dies at 78, family says death was ‘sudden and unexpected’

Sam Neill, the actor best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, has died at the age of 78.

His family announced his death in a statement shared on Instagram on Monday, July 13, saying he died in Sydney, Australia.

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia,” the statement read.

The family added, “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.”

They also thanked the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy.

Born Nigel Neill in Northern Ireland in 1947, he moved to New Zealand with his family when he was seven years old. He later said adapting to life in a new country influenced his decision to become an actor.

Neill changed his first name to Sam when he was 11 after deciding he no longer wanted to be called Nigel.

After studying English at Victoria University in Wellington, he began acting in New Zealand productions before gaining international recognition with the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs. He later appeared in My Brilliant Career, Omen III: The Final Conflict, Possession, A Cry in the Dark, Dead Calm and The Hunt for Red October.

His biggest international breakthrough came in 1993 with Jurassic Park, where he starred as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant. He also appeared in television series including The Tudors and Peaky Blinders during a career that spanned several decades.