Sam Neill, known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, has passed away at 78.

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, widely recognized for his portrayal of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films, has passed away at the age of 78. The announcement was made on Neill’s Instagram, with a message from his “whānau,” a Māori term for “extended family.”

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,” the post stated. “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.” Neill had been diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, in 2022.

Neill became a household name as the reluctant hero in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster, which brought dinosaurs to life in a modern setting. He reprised his role as Grant in the film’s sequels and again in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion. The character was initially offered to Harrison Ford, among others, and shares similarities with Ford’s Indiana Jones, blending academia with action. However, Neill’s unique ability to convey awe, fear, and determination in a single glance made the role distinctly his own. His iconic reaction upon first seeing the living dinosaurs transcended mere meme status; it fundamentally shaped the audience’s experience of Spielberg’s groundbreaking spectacle.

With leading-man charisma and a diverse range, Neill excelled in comedy, villainy, and complex psychological roles. In the 1980s, he was considered to take over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore but ultimately lost out to Timothy Dalton. Over a 50-year career that included significant roles in both film and television, Jurassic Park stood out as a highlight, though it was far from his only notable work, showcasing his remarkable versatility.

In 1982, Neill starred as the tormented lead in Possession, a cult European psychological horror film by Andrzej Żuławski that has since become a classic. He portrayed a harsh husband to Holly Hunter in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning romantic drama, The Piano, in 1993, and the following year delivered a bold performance in John Carpenter’s Lovecraftian horror, In the Mouth of Madness. In 1997, he embraced the intense atmosphere of Paul W.S. Anderson’s sci-fi horror, Event Horizon. By 2016, he had transitioned into a beloved older character actor, delivering a memorable performance as a curmudgeonly old man in Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Neill resided in New Zealand, where he owned a vineyard and was known for his self-deprecating humor regarding his career. Waititi provided him with a perfect opportunity to showcase this side in a cameo as the actor portraying Anthony Hopkins’ Odin in a hapless Asgardian theater troupe in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder.

“I’m not afraid to die, but it would annoy me,” Neill shared in a 2023 interview. “Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know? We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.”