Steven Spielberg Pays Tribute To Jurassic Park Star Sam Neill

After Sam Neill, Jurassic Park actor, died July 13 at age 78, Steven Spielberg spoke out to honor Neill, who passed away in Australia from a sudden illness.

Speilberg told 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.”

Neill was most celebrated for his iconic portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in the hugely successful Jurassic Park franchise. “Sam was exceptionally collaborative,” Spielberg said. “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 wrapped up his statement by saying: “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.”

There have been a slew of other warm tributes. Nicole Kidman, who starred alongside Neill in 1989’s Dead Calm, called him “one of the greats” and “a joy to be around” in a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald. “We met when I was just 18 and he took me under his wing and we stayed friends for life,” she added. “He was charming, kind, funny and intelligent. He will be greatly missed, and my heart goes out to his family.”

Cillian Murphy told Deadline: “Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure. He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors. RIP.” Laura Dern shared one of the most personal tributes to Neill, recalling her longtime Jurassic Park co-star as a “beloved lifetime friend”.

“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit. A true and noble gentleman, who was wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”