Former Jurassic Park child actors honor Sam Neill after his death

Joseph Mazzello, 42, and Ariana Richards, 46, who played the sibling characters Tim and Lex Murphy in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, posted tributes on Instagram following the death of their co-star Sam Neill, 78. Neill, who portrayed paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, died in Sydney, Australia, three months after announcing he was cancer-free.

Mazzello said he was surprised by Neill’s passing, noting that the actor had recently left a supportive comment on his Instagram post, writing, "All the best, Joey." He added that Neill had continued to follow his career and was "still rooting for me 33 years later," which he described as "so special."

"I had been following his cancer diagnosis and his recovery and was so happy and thankful when I found out he was cancer-free, so this just comes, I think, as an extra gut-punch, because I thought he was through it — but that is life, isn’t it?"

Richards also expressed gratitude, calling Neill "more than just a lovely actor to work with — refined, thoughtful, a skill second to none — you were a mentor, protector, and above all, friend."

Both actors recalled the filming experience as formative; Mazzello said Sam pretended to dislike working with children but was actually an "amazing scene partner," while Richards thanked him for making their shared scenes feel authentic. The pair later appeared in the 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, though Neill did not return until Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022).

Other cast members, including Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, also posted condolences on social media.