Sam Neill’s agent, Philip Grenz, has revealed the cause of the “Jurassic Park” actor’s death.
Grenz, who represented Neill for 19 years, said the actor died from pneumonia, The New York Times reported. He added that Neill “valiantly fought and beaten” lymphoma before he fell ill from pneumonia.
The rep said he released the statement to clear up “inaccuracies and outright falsehoods” in the reporting of Neill’s death, but he did not give any specifics of those alleged issues, Deadline reported.
Neill’s family called his death “sudden and unexpected” but said on social media that he died surrounded by family and friends as he “passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life.”
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Neill had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in March 2022. He had been given CAR-T therapy, or a treatment that removes a patient’s T cells, or the white blood cells that combat viruses, and genetically engineers them in a lab before infusing them back into the patient, the Times explained.
Neill died on July 13 at the age of 78, People magazine reported.
A private memorial at his New Zealand farm will be held to honor Neill. Grenz said “Sam was an intensley private man who loathed a fuss.”
His final four projects, filmed back-to-back, will be released in the next few months, the agent shared. Neill also owned and ran a winery called Two Paddocks.
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