Nicole Kidman has raised a glass in honor of her "leading man," Jurassic Park star Sam Neill, after his "sudden and unexpected" death on July 13, 2026.
The Lioness star was joined by her Big Little Lies co-star, Laura Dern, both 59, as they paid a touching tribute to the late actor.
Nicole, who starred alongside Sam in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, held up a bottle of Two Paddocks Last Chance Pinot Noir from Sam's winery in Central Otago, New Zealand, which he founded in 1993.
Laura, who starred with Sam in Jurassic Park, stood beside her as they both smiled at the camera in a photo the Marriage Story star shared on her Instagram Stories.
"Raising a glass to our beloved friend and leading man, Sam," she captioned the touching photo. "Just the way he would want, toasting with his gorgeous Pinot."
Nicole and Laura aren't the only ones toasting Sam with his wine following his death. Liquorland NZ revealed sales of Two Paddocks Pinot Noir soared by 1,828 per cent in the days after his death, becoming the chain's fifth bestselling bottle.
© InstagramTwo Paddocks general manager Jacqui Murphy said the actor would have been "deeply moved" by the support of his wine brand.
"I think he would think it was very apt and he'd be even more excited that they were, of course, drinking his Two Paddocks," she said.
Sam Neill's cause of death
© Getty ImagesSam died of pneumonia in St Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by his loved ones, three months after revealing he was cancer-free following his battle with stage three angioimmunoblastic T–cell lymphoma.
"Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy," his representative, Philip Grenz, said in a statement earlier this month.
© Getty ImagesSam's family announced his death in a heartbreaking statement, which read: "It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia.
"Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free."
© Getty ImagesAt the time of his death, Nicole shared in a statement that she was "immensely saddened" by the news of her friend's passing.
"Sam was one of the greats, a joy to be around," she said. "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."
© Getty ImagesLaura also fondly remembered Sam in a statement shortly after his death, telling Entertainment Weekly: "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," she added, referring to Sam's Jurassic Park character.
