Sam Neill, 'Jurassic Park' Star, Dies at 78

Sam Neill died Monday in Sydney, his family announced. He was 78. As Jurassic Park's Dr. Alan Grant, he taught a generation to fear velociraptors. The news came as a shock: just months ago, the New Zealand star had declared himself cancer-free, per People.

Neill's career spanned more than 50 years and refused to be typecast, per Variety's obituary. He ranged from Jane Campion's The Piano to Peaky Blinders, with three Jurassic appearances along the way. For millions, though, he will always be the paleontologist who stared down a T. rex — wry, weathered, and impossible not to love.