[E-Daily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Actor Sam Neill, who played Dr. Alan Grant in the movie "Jurassic Park," has passed away. He was 78.

According to the Australian media outlet The Daily Telegraph, Sam Neill’s family announced in a statement on the 13th (local time) that he had passed away peacefully that day in Sydney, surrounded by his family.
Sam Neill’s family posted on his official social media account, “While his passing was sudden, we are grateful that he remained cancer-free until the end.”
They added, “Please respect our privacy as we grieve this loss.” The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.
In his memoir published in 2023, the late actor revealed that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer in 2022. According to local media reports, Sam Neill had been declared cancer-free.
Sam Neill was born in Northern Ireland in 1947 and moved to New Zealand as a child. He began his acting career in the 1970s and gained attention for films such as *Sleeping Dogs* and *My Brilliant Life*.
In particular, he won the hearts of audiences worldwide for his role as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 film *Jurassic Park*, directed by Steven Spielberg. He reprised the role in *Jurassic Park III* (2001) and *Jurassic World: Dominion* (2022).
He continued his career with appearances in films such as *The Deadly Voyage*, *The Piano*, and *The Hunt for Red October*. Over the course of more than 50 years, Sam Neill appeared in over 150 productions, including films and television dramas. In 2022, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of New Zealand in recognition of his contributions.