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New Zealand actor Sam Neill died suddenly aged 78 after recovering from cancer, his family said in a statement on Monday.

“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” a statement posted on Neill’s Instagram page said.

Neill died in Sydney, with the family paying tribute to a private hospital in the city for its care.

“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement read. It also said that more details will be shared later and asked fans to respect the family’s “privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss”.

The Jurassic Park actor announced in April he was cancer-free after undergoing treatment for stage-three blood cancer.

“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a social media post.

“He will be much mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.”

Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in 1947 in Northern Ireland, the actor changed his name to Sam when he was 12 and had moved to New Zealand. He started his career as a theatre actor before moving on to small roles on local television. His cinema breakout came with the 1977 film Sleeping Dogs; the first movie from the island nation to open in the US.

Soon after that he landed roles in My Brilliant Career (1979), Omen III (1981), Possession (1981), and The Hunt for Red October (1990).

Neill became known to global audiences in 1993 with two performances: as New Zealand settler Alisdair Stewart in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winner The Piano and as Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, a role originally offered to Harrison Ford. Neill played Alan Grant again in sequels Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion.

He was one of the leading contenders to play James Bond and even did a screen test for the role in 1986; the part later went to Timothy Dalton.

Neill also worked in television, with parts in Peaky Blinders, The Twelve, The Tudors, and episodes of The Simpsons and Rick and Morty. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of spy Sidney Reilly in the 1983 mini-series Reilly, Ace of Spies.

Cover photo via AFP