Sam Neill lived the type of life each of us aspires to. Professionally, he acted for half a century, starring in several unforgettable, immortal films like Jurassic Park, cementing a legacy of excellence. Personally, when you read tributes from those who knew him, it seems that as good an actor as he was, he was an even better human.
Neill died earlier this week at the age of 78, and a ton of celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late great actor. Reading these, you can kind of scratch the surface of what Neill meant to those around him. Below, we’ve got tributes from Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg, his Jurassic Park co-stars BD Wong and Laura Dern, his Hunt for Red October co-star Alec Baldwin, Cary Elwes, Richard E. Grant, DeWanda Wise, Rufus Sewell, and many more. Check it out.
Steven Spielberg, as told 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,’” he continued, referencing Neill’s earlier movies “Sleeping Dogs” (1977), “My Brilliant Career” (1979), “The Final Conflict” (1981) and “Dead Calm” (1989).
Sam was exceptionally collaborative. 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.
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.
Getting to know and work with Sam Neill was an experience I will always cherish. A talented, funny, classy, beautiful and warm human being, he was always up for anything, including putting on the costume for a Super Bowl spot. Sail on, Dr. Grant. pic.twitter.com/tsFl6LNP6L
— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) July 13, 2026
Laura Dern, as told to Variety:
Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.
We added several more tributes, such as those from Grant’s Jurassic Park co-stars Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards, after publication. We’ll add more as they happen.
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