Sam Neill is being honored by his TV and filmmaking community following his "sudden and unexpected" death at 78.
In a statement shared to his Instagram Sunday, July 13, the Peaky Blinders alum's family 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," and noted: "The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free."
Among those paying tribute to the Northern Ireland native is Laura Dern, who starred as his Jurassic Park love interest Ellie Sattler in the beloved 1993 dinosaur movie.
© Getty Images"Sam was my beloved lifetime friend," Laura told Entertainment Weekly about Sam, who starred in Jurassic Park opposite her as Alan Grant.
"He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit," she added.
Laura further shared that Sam was "a true and noble gentleman" who was "wrapped up in my dream leading man," and declared: "I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant."
© Getty ImagesThe statement from Sam's family added that he was "surrounded by family" at the time of his death and "passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life."
Sam was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, blood cancer, in 2022, shortly after, while doing publicity for Jurassic World Dominion, he noticed he had swollen glands. He revealed his diagnosis one year later, sharing he'd spent the year off working on a memoir titled Did I Ever Tell You This?, which was released in March 2023.
30 years after starring together in Jurassic Park, Laura, 59, and Sam reunited in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion, which also brought back their co-star Jeff Goldblum and added the likes of Bryce Dallas and Chris Pratt.
© Getty ImagesWhile promoting the 2022 movie, Laura opened up to The Sunday Times about the fact that she was 23 when she filmed the original movie (26 when it came out), and Sam was 43. "Well, it felt completely appropriate to fall in love with Sam Neill," she said, adding: "And it was only now, when we returned in a moment of cultural awareness about the patriarchy, that I was, like, ‘'Wow! We're not the same age?'"
© Getty Images"I am 20 years older than Laura!" Sam quipped, admitting at the time, it was "a completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady," and that it "never occurred" to him it could be inappropriate, until he "opened a magazine and there was an article called 'Old Geezers and Gals.' People like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acting with much younger people. And there I was, on the list. I thought, 'Come on. It can't be true.'"
Sam is survived by four children; his son Andrew, who he welcomed when he was in his 20s and who was given up for adoption before they reconnected in 1994; another son, Tim, who he shares with Lisa Harrow, who he was married to until 1989; and two daughters, Maiko and Elena, from his marriage to the makeup artist Noriko Watanabe, who he married in 1989 and separated from in 2017.
