In memoriam: 7 of our favorite Sam Neill films - Ars Technica Jurassic Park , died Monday in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78. ","image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/samneill-500x500.jpg","listing_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/samneill-768x432.jpg"}'> Skip to content Ars Technica home Sections Forum Subscribe Search AI Biz & IT Cars Culture Gaming Health Policy Science Security Space Tech Feature Reviews AI Biz & IT Cars Culture Gaming Health Policy Science Security Space Tech Forum Subscribe Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Pin to story Theme HyperLight Day & Night Dark System Search Sign In Sign in dialog... Sign in a character actor for the ages In memoriam: 7 of our favorite Sam Neill films The actor, who starred in 1993’s Jurassic Park , died Monday in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78. Jennifer Ouellette – Jul 15, 2026 2:39 pm | 25 Credit: Universal Pictures Credit: Universal Pictures Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who starred as Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park and its 2022 sequel, Jurassic World Dominion , died on Monday in Sydney, Australia. He was 78.
While American audiences likely know Neill best for Jurassic Park , he had a long and varied career in film and television. His sheer versatility won him fans around the world. He played the grown Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict ; a Russian officer in The Hunt for Red October ; and even made brief cameos (as an actor playing Odin in a theatrical troupe) in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder . (The less said about 1997’s space horror travesty, Event Horizon , the better, although it has its fans, and Neill made the most of his role.) Yet some of his best performances were in smaller, critically acclaimed independent films such as 1993’s Oscar-winning The Piano .
Source: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/07/in-memoriam-seven-of-our-favorite-sam-neill-films/
While American audiences likely know Neill best for Jurassic Park , he had a long and varied career in film and television. His sheer versatility won him fans around the world. He played the grown Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict ; a Russian officer in The Hunt for Red October ; and even made brief cameos (as an actor playing Odin in a theatrical troupe) in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder . (The less said about 1997’s space horror travesty, Event Horizon , the better, although it has its fans, and Neill made the most of his role.) Yet some of his best performances were in smaller, critically acclaimed independent films such as 1993’s Oscar-winning The Piano .
Source: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/07/in-memoriam-seven-of-our-favorite-sam-neill-films/