Steven Spielberg mourns ‘Jurassic Park’ star Sam Neill: “Sam will never be forgotten”
Steven Spielberg has paid an emotional tribute to Jurassic Park star Sam Neill following his death aged 78.
Neill portrayed Dr Alan Grant in the classic movie, released in 1993, a role that the New Zealander later revived in 2001’s Jurassic Park III, and Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
In a statement to Variety, Spielberg shared that he was “saddened” by the news of Neill’s death, before thanking the directors who worked with Neill before Jurassic Park that put the actor on his radar.
He began, “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.”
Spielberg went on to describe Neill as “exceptionally collaborative,” which made working with him on set a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
The legendary director added of Neill as a family man, “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.”
He poignantly 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.”
Laura Dern, who starred alongside Neill in Jurassic Park, has also honoured him, writing, “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.”
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman, who worked with Neill on Dead Calm, said of her late co-star, “Sam was one of the greats, a joy to be around. We met when I was just 18 and he took me under his wing and we stayed friends for life. He was charming, kind, funny and intelligent. He will be greatly missed, and my heart goes out to his family.”
The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor died on July 13th, 2026, in Sydney, Australia, a representative revealed in a heartfelt statement.
They heartbreakingly shared, “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday, 13th July, in Sydney, Australia.”
It was also confirmed that Neill “was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life”, describing his death as “sudden and unexpected, but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.”
In 2023, Neill announced that he had been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma, publishing his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This? while undergoing treatment for his illness.
Earlier this year, the Jurassic Park star revealed that he had participated in clinical trials in Australia, following which scans showed that there was no cancer in his body.
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