Sam Neill, actor known for ‘Jurassic Park,’ dies at 78
Actor Sam Neill, best known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in “Jurassic Park,” died in Sydney at 78 surrounded by family.
Laura Dern is sharing an emotional tribute to her “Jurassic Park” costar Sam Neill.
The “Big Little Lies” star honored Neill in a statement shared with USA TODAY on July 13 after the actor’s family confirmed his “sudden and unexpected” death.
“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend … He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit,” Dern said. “He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”
Neill was best known for playing paleontologist Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park,” in which Dern starred as paleobotanist Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum played mathematician Ian Malcolm. He later reprised the role in 2001’s “Jurassic Park III” opposite Dern and in 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion.” The latter was the first “Jurassic” since the original to bring Neill, Dern and Goldblum back together on screen.
Spielberg also paid tribute to Neill in a statement shared with Variety. “I adored making all the ‘Jurassic’ movies with him,” the filmmaker told the outlet. “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 family announced his “sudden and unexpected” death in an Instagram post on July 13.
“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 post said. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
Neill had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer, in 2022. But in April, he shared that he had undergone a clinical trial in Australia and was cancer-free. The actor’s family said his “loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.”
Outside of “Jurassic Park,” Neill was known for starring in films like “Event Horizon” and “In the Mouth of Madness.” He has several movies set to be released posthumously, including the latest Godzilla and King Kong movie “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” which hits theaters in March 2027.
Other actors who shared tributes to Neill included Toni Collette, who worked with him on the movie “A Long Way Down.” In an Instagram post, she wrote, “I love you, dear Sam. You hero. You legend. You sweetheart. Our great friend. You are already missed so very much. Continue in peace wherever you are.”
Teresa Palmer, Neill’s costar in the movie “Ride Like a Girl,” posted on Instagram, “This is such a heartbreaking loss for our film industry, for your family, your friends, and everyone whose life you touched- all the countless people across the globe that you made an imprint on. Sending so much love to everyone who knew and loved you. Rest easy, beautiful soul.”
“Jurassic World Dominion” director Colin Trevorrow also remembered Neill as a “deeply soulful and beautiful man,” adding, “I’ll remember him for his tranquility, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters. It’s not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend. Forever grateful.”
Contributing: Bryan Alexander and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usatoday.com ’
