"Jurassic Park" star Sam Neill has died in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78, his family confirmed on Monday.
"The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free," a statement posted to the veteran actor's official Instagram account read.
The family added that he was being treated at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney at the time.
"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life," the statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the global tributes, praising the screen legend for his distinct character.
"Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance," Albanese said.
The New Zealand actor had been open about his health in recent years.
He revealed in his 2023 memoir, "Did I Ever Tell You This?", that he was diagnosed with stage-three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer, in 2022.
Neill underwent experimental CAR-T cell therapy, a specialised genetic treatment that modifies the immune system to destroy malignant cells.
"We've just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body; that's an extraordinary thing," Neill said at the time.
Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1947, he moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, as a child.
His acting career spanned more than five decades, rising to international prominence as palaeontologist Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster "Jurassic Park".
Beyond blockbusters, Neill earned critical acclaim for his versatility in films like "The Piano" and "The Hunt for Red October".
When he was away from film sets, Neill dedicated his time to operating his Two Paddocks vineyards in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.
He was knighted in 2022, having previously declined the honour because he felt the title was "just far too grand".
He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.