Sam Neill's cause of death revealed after family's announcement

The cause of death of Sir Sam Neill has been confirmed, days after the beloved New Zealand actor's family announced his sudden passing at the age of 78.

According to Neill's longtime representative, the Jurassic Park star died from pneumonia on Monday in Sydney. The cause of death was disclosed to address widespread speculation following the actor's unexpected death.

The news comes just three months after Neill revealed that he was cancer-free following an intensive battle with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer. Although he had achieved remission through CAR T-cell therapy, years of treatment had significantly weakened his immune system, leaving him more vulnerable to infection.

Neill's former partner, Australian journalist Laura Tingle, recently said the actor had become "pretty sick" in the weeks leading up to his death, explaining that his body had become exhausted after years of fighting illness despite his successful cancer treatment.

Despite his health challenges, Neill remained remarkably active. Over the past year, he completed work on four upcoming film projects while continuing to manage his acclaimed New Zealand vineyard, Two Paddocks. Friends and colleagues have noted that he never lost his enthusiasm for acting and continued working for as long as he was able.

Neill's family previously described his death as "sudden and unexpected" and confirmed that a private memorial service will be held at his farm in New Zealand, in keeping with the actor's lifelong preference for privacy. Rather than sending flowers, they have encouraged fans to support charities and organisations that were important to him, including the Dunstan Hospital Foundation, the Snowdome Foundation and environmental causes in New Zealand.

Tributes have continued to pour in from across the entertainment industry. Steven Spielberg remembered Neill as an irreplaceable member of the Jurassic Park family, while Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Cillian Murphy, Richard E. Grant and many others praised his warmth, generosity and extraordinary talent.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Neill became one of New Zealand's most celebrated actors through performances in films including Jurassic Park, The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm and Event Horizon. He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.