Tributes continue to arrive for the late, great Sam Neill.
News broke yesterday (July 13th) that the beloved Kiwi actor had died the age of 78. Neill’s family confirmed his death in a statement shared on social media.
“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” the statement read. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
Steven Spielberg, the director of Jurassic Park, one of Neill’s biggest films, shared a statement to Variety: “I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in ‘Jurassic Park’,” the Hollywood filmmaker said, referencing Neill’s earlier work in Sleeping Dogs (1977), My Brilliant Career (1979), The Final Conflict (1981), and Dead Calm (1989).
“Sam was exceptionally collaborative,” Spielberg continued. “It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children.”
Spielberg’s statement concluded: “I adored making all the ‘Jurassic’ movies with him. Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our ‘Jurassic’ family and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Neill’s Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern shared her own tribute, calling him a “beloved lifetime friend.”
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“He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit,” Dern shared in a statement to E! News. “He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”
Neill later returned to the Jurassic Park franchise for Jurassic World Dominion, whose director, Colin Trevorrow, paid tribute to the late actor yesterday.
“He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength. I’ll remember him for his tranquility, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters,” Trevorrow wrote on social media.
Neill was diagnosed in 2022 with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. However, he revealed he was cancer free earlier this year.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” Neill’s family’s statement continued. “They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.
“More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
