United Kingdom, July 13 -- Sam Neill has been hailed as one of the "key forces" behind the Peaky Blinders series.

The Northern Ireland-born, New Zealand-raised actor died in Sydney, Australia, on Monday (13,07.26) aged 78, according to a statement issued by his family, and though the actor was best known internationally for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, Sam also earned widespread acclaim on television as the ruthless Major Chester Campbell - opposite Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby in the first two series of Peaky Blinders.

The official Peaky Blinders social media account has now also honoured Sam's performance as Major Chester Campbell with a statement that read: "We are devastated to hear that Sam Neill has died...