Sam Neill, Jurassic Park Actor, Dies at 77

The Australian film industry lost a celebrated figure with the death of Sam Neill, who passed away at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney. He was 77.

Neill gained international acclaim following the rise of Australian cinema in the 1970s. His career was marked by significant friendships and collaborations, with many remembering him fondly after the news of his passing.

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I loved 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 by his many millions of fans worldwide.

Steven Spielberg, who directed Neill in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, shared his condolences. "Sam was exceptionally collaborative," Spielberg said, recalling Neill's difficulty portraying a character who disliked children, as it contrasted with his own loving fatherhood. He added, "Sam will never be forgotten by us or by his many millions of fans worldwide."

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Sam was exceptionally collaborative. He struggled to play a character who acted as if children were messy and smelled bad, because this was the opposite of the loving father he was with his own children.

Actress Laura Dern, who starred alongside Neill as his love interest in Jurassic Park, shared a heartfelt tribute. "Sam was my lifelong dear friend… He showed me the utmost loyalty, protection, and love, always with a subtle wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, the leading man of my dreams. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant," she said, referencing their characters.

Nicole Kidman, who worked with Neill on the 1989 film Dead Calm, recalled meeting him at 18. "He was charming, kind, funny, and intelligent. We will miss him terribly and I send my condolences to his family," she told The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Sam was my lifelong dear friend… He showed me the utmost loyalty, protection, and love, always with a subtle wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, the leading man of my dreams. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.

Other notable figures, including Cillian Murphy, Henry Golding, Alan Cumming, Kylie Minogue, and Karl Urban, also paid tribute to Neill, remembering his kindness, talent, and contributions to cinema in New Zealand and worldwide.

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We met when I was only 18 and he took me under his wing; we were friends forever. He was charming, kind, funny, and intelligent. We will miss him terribly and I send my condolences to his family.