India, July 14 -- Sam Neill, best known for playing Dr Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, died on July 13 in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78. According to his family, Neill's death was sudden and unexpected. In a statement, they said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.

The family also made one thing clear: Neill was not battling cancer when he died. After years of treatment for a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, he had achieved remission and had remained cancer-free in the months leading up to his death.

Sam Neill's Family On His Death

In their statement, Neill's family described his passing as "sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free."

The actor had spent t...