Laura Dern’s emotional farewell message for Sam Neill will leave Jurassic Park fans in tears. The highly acclaimed New Zealand actor passed away on Monday at the age of 78.
What did Laura Dern say about Sam Neill?
Laura Dern and Sam Neill famously starred together in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park. In the film, Dern portrayed paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, while Neill played the iconic Dr. Alan Grant. Nearly three decades later, the two actors reprised their roles in 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Following the news of Neill’s passing, Dern paid an emotional tribute to her longtime co-star with a heartfelt message. In a statement given to Variety, the veteran actress shared, “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.”
Dern wasn’t the only member of the Jurassic Park family who remembered Neill. Director Spielberg also paid homage to the late actor, saying, “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 also touched upon Neill’s collaborative nature and warm personality on set. “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.”
Looking back at their time filming the original masterpiece, Spielberg added, “I adored making all the ‘Jurassic’ movies with him.”
Jurassic World Dominion’s director Colin Trevorrow also paid an emotional tribute to Neill. He said, “It’s not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend. Forever grateful.”
