Sam Neill. Credit: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General/Wikimedia Commons

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who shot to global prominence as the main character in the 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park,” has died unexpectedly at the age of 78.

Making the loss even more tragic is the fact that Neill had just beaten cancer just before passing away.

The family of Sam Neill released the following statement on Instagram announcing his passing, which they described as “sudden and unexpected”:

It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday, 13th July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.

The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.

More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.

As Fox News reported, Neill announced back in April that he was cancer-free after receiving treatment for stage-three blood cancer.

“I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing,” Neill said back then. “I’m very, very excited that this can happen.”

In addition to playing Dr. Alan Grant in the original Jurassic Park film, Neill reprised the role in “Jurassic Park III” and “Jurassic Park World Dominion.” These were released in 2001 and 2002, respectively.

Neill also had roles in several other well-recognized films, including “The Piano,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Event Horizon,” and “The Horse Whisperer.”

Neill was born September 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, but emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 7. While his birth name was Nigel Neill, he told interviewers he started to go by Sam because there were too many Nigels at his school.

Per the Associated Press Article , Neill is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

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