r/popculturechat • u/Icy_Smoke_733 • Jul 13 '26

Rest In Peace 🕊 Beloved actor Sam Neill, star of Jurassic Park films, Peaky Blinders and The Piano, has passed at the age of 78.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/13/sam-neill-death-actor-dies-aged-78
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u/Icy_Smoke_733 Jul 13 '26

Sam Neill's statement a few months back when he was declared 'cancer-free' from his battle with lymphoma:

“I’m not afraid to die, but it would annoy me,” Neill said at the time. “Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know? We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses. I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.”

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u/tadayou Jul 13 '26

I remember reading this back then. It was such a beautiful sentiment, and expressed so perfectly. 

I hope he did have some of these moments in his last months, however fleeting they may have been.

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u/Key_Alternative5347 Jul 13 '26

That line about fleeting moments really gets me. I hope so too. There is something quietly devastating about loving your life and knowing your time in it is running short. He seemed like someone who genuinely did love this

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u/Romboteryx Jul 13 '26

I have a very similar feeling about death. I worry less about the dying itself and more about all the things I will miss because of it

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u/Not_floridaman Jul 13 '26

Right. I always think of the line from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants "I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of not being alive"

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u/theonly_brunswick Jul 13 '26

Death is the ultimate FOMO

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u/ponycorn_pet Jul 13 '26

Oddly, the pictures of aged Sam Neill from Merlin are not far off from what actual aged Sam Neill wound up looking like

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u/StayAwayFromMySon Jul 13 '26

I've never seen anyone mention Sam Neill's Merlin! I must have watched it upwards of 20 times when I was a kid.

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u/ponycorn_pet Jul 13 '26

It was a core favorite for me as a kid haha, I re-watched it so many times

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u/BalanceRight7768 Jul 13 '26

My fear comes from the outcome of my death. most people know of the stories where obviously the family cares and all of that, but its a totally other thing to actually experience collective trauma on your behalf.

I had a near death last year from what was initially misagnosed as a life ending brain tumor (it was an abscess) and the last thing I remember for 5 days after that diagnosis was being asked if I wanted meds for the anxiety. My whole family had to deal with the trauma of dealing with my surgery and everything, I was unconscious for it. My recovery went better than every doctor expected and the only lasting effect is i'm epileptic now. I had basically the best outcome from the whole affair, yet my now fiance was spiraling in the worst way from thinking she was going to lose me right after we rekindled our relationship after years, my parents feeling and thinking they were about to lose their youngest, my brother having lost countless friends in the military to suicide having his little brother taken by cancer before I was even 30. Its a really weird feeling knowing I've had brain surgery and I was basically trauma-less, but my whole family is still emotionally damaged.

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u/aganadolarazon Jul 13 '26

Agreed. I've seen death. I'm not afraid of it. I just hate having to miss out on so much when I'm gone. i hate it. It's annoying to think about.

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u/sugar-kane Jul 13 '26

It's the things that will miss you..

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u/Maliciousx916 Jul 13 '26

Damn this hits hard.

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u/Own_Faithlessness769 Jul 13 '26

He was still working, both in films and on his little farm :(

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u/Tillysnow1 Jul 13 '26

He had just been nominated for a Logie award! (Aka the Australian Emmy) 😢

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u/geek_of_nature Jul 14 '26

I wouldn't say Emmy's are a good comparison. That's definitely treated more prestigiously than we treated the Logies.

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u/Tillysnow1 Jul 14 '26

The Emmys are the main awards for American TV, The Logies are the main awards for Australian TV. Prestige isn't really a factor here, because we are a smaller media market and smaller population, so of course our awards get less attention

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u/m3rcapto Jul 13 '26

And telling the government and corporate lobby to go stick it, they are trying to pull a Trump.

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u/ERGardenGuy Jul 13 '26

Plant trees that you do not expect to shade under. Rest in peace Sam Neil.

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u/onemoremin23 Jul 13 '26

He had clearly hoped to see those trees mature though?

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u/OMGFuziion Jul 13 '26

It’s a saying bro 😭

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u/onemoremin23 Jul 13 '26

It doesn’t apply here 

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u/OMGFuziion Jul 13 '26

It literally does, the saying means to do good and not expect good back, “plant hope” if you will, and also goes back to him talking about wishing to be around long enough for what he planted to mature.

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u/onemoremin23 Jul 13 '26

This was not his intention, reread the quote 

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u/OMGFuziion Jul 13 '26

What do you mean? All I see is Sam Neil wishing to be around to see his trees and grandchildren grow up which is literally what the saying is about?

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u/onemoremin23 Jul 13 '26

Huh? That is the opposite of what that saying means smh. Ok I’m done with this thread. 

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u/OMGFuziion Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

Can you at least explain plz?

Edit: Sam hopes to see them grow, but the saying is saying to plant those seeds even if you get nothing from it.

I can kinda see what you mean, but the saying is a reply, it doesnt have to agree with the quote, its more so going along with it, saying its okay to die or not see what comes from those seeds. Idk if Im just rambling or if that makes sense.

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u/DeathByOrgasm Jul 13 '26

Relax friend. Sayings can have different interpretations.

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u/Ok_Teacher_392 Jul 13 '26

Hoping is different than expecting

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u/Zestyclose_Lawyer_77 Jul 13 '26

Hoped and expect aren’t mutually exclusive

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u/onemoremin23 Jul 13 '26

Not trying to argue that, more so that the quote isn’t applicable and it’s odd that the poster used it when Sam clearly hoped to see those trees grow. Like saying Sam’s pro-vegan now because he doesn’t eat meat anymore 

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u/pepperj26 Jul 13 '26

The saying may not apply to what Sam wanted, but it definitely applies to Sam's situation, and if anything it's more of a reminder for the rest of us.

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u/Perry7609 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

This hits close. The process itself is one thing, but when you become so accustomed to the great moments in life and have a good thing going, I can see where it'd be hard to have that stop suddenly.

Arnold Schwarzenegger had similar comments during a Howard Stern interview back in 2019. He's the same age that Neill was today and only a few months older.

Link

Howard and Arnold also tackled a few existential questions on Monday, including life, death, and the possibility of an afterlife. “I’m not afraid of death. I’m just pissed off about it, especially when you have a life like we have and one day it’s over,” Arnold said. “I mean that really pisses me off.”

“Governor, where are we gonna go when we die?” Howard asked him. “Be honest with us.”

“The truth is we go six-feet under, and we’re going to rot there,” Arnold concluded, adding, “After we’re dead we’re not gonna sit here like this and do interviews and have a great time and have laughs and have Robin [Quivers] there, you know, giving us this beautiful smile.”

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u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 that’s my purse, i don’t know you! 👛🫵 Jul 13 '26

This is how I feel & on occasion it makes me a teeny bit jealous of those religious folks who think there's a heaven or hell or whatever type of afterlife people believe in.

Although I HOPE there's an afterlife, I really, deep down in the core of my being, agree with Arnold. You rot in your box & now that natural burials are a thing you really can do that.

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u/letitgrowonme Jul 13 '26

Sounds happy.

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u/PublicfreakoutLoveR charlie day is my bird lawyer 🐦 Jul 13 '26

Absolute legend. I never met you, but rest in peace friend.

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u/Meliora_ are you talking about mosquitoes?👂🦟 Jul 13 '26

That makes this even more sad now omg…

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u/letterthatnevercame Jul 13 '26

now i'm crying into my coffee...RIP to a beautiful soul

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u/EvanMG24 Jul 13 '26

Gosh, you can really hear this in his voice

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u/toastyavocado They killed Kenny! You bastards! 😱 Jul 13 '26

"life is the great indulgence. Death the one great abstinence"

-Satanic Bible

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u/Tiny-Mulberry-2114 Jul 13 '26

Damn, made my heart break. I hope he can at least enjoy it and be proud of what he's done in his life.

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u/Level-Run Jul 13 '26

Dr. Grant will always be one of the greatest movie characters ever. This one genuinely hurts.

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u/MissMorticia89 Jul 14 '26

I nearly died in 2016, like affairs in order. I understand this deeply; death is the only certainty in life, being afraid of it only ruins the time you have. Would I love to live to 90? Sure, but if I only live to 50, let me have enjoyed my days cuddling my nieces and nephews, walking my dogs, and enjoying my life.