Actor Sam Neill, star of 'Jurassic Park', dies at 78

Sam Neill from the Peacock series "Apples Never Fall" visits the Empire State Building on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in New York. © Evan Agostini, AP

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for his roles in "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano', died Monday at the age of 78, according to a statement from his family on social media.

Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” to playing Holly Hunter’s husband in “The Piano”, has died. He was 78.