Cillian Murphy Pays Tribute to Sam Neill, Dead at 78

Q: Declared cancer-free, why was beloved actor Sam Neill's death so 'sudden and unexpected'?

Sam Neill’s death was described as “sudden and unexpected” because, although he had previously battled a rare blood cancer, his family said he was cancer-free at the time he died and no other cause of death has been publicly disclosed. Neill had been diagnosed in 2022 with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He later underwent treatment, including CAR T-cell therapy after chemotherapy, and in April said scans showed there was no cancer in his body. His family repeated that point in announcing his death, saying the loss was “sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.” That wording indicates his death was not being attributed publicly to the lymphoma he had spoken about in recent years. He died in Sydney’s St Vincent’s Private Hospital, surrounded by loved ones, but his family has not released a specific medical cause. The sense of shock was heightened because Neill had remained publicly active. He had spoken optimistically about his health after being declared cancer-free and made a public appearance in Sydney only weeks before his death. So, the reason his death has been characterized that way is straightforward: he had overcome the illness many people associated with him, appeared to be recovering, and then died from an as-yet unspecified cause that his family says came unexpectedly.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jul 13

Cillian Murphy remembered Sam Neill as “one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people” after his Peaky Blinders co-star died at 78 in Sydney.
Murphy, who played opposite Neill’s Chester Campbell as Tommy Shelby, said he admired and adored him in equal measure and called him one of the finest actors.
Peaky Blinders said it was devastated, praising Neill’s two-season turn as Campbell as a key force behind the show’s early success.
Steven Spielberg also led tributes, calling Neill exceptionally collaborative and saying the Jurassic Park cast would never forget him.
Neill, a New Zealand actor born in Northern Ireland, had remained friends with Murphy long after the series and was among the first to celebrate Murphy’s 2024 Oscar win.