Steven Spielberg and colleagues honor late Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill

Director Steven Spielberg issued a statement mourning the death of New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who died on Monday at age 78. Spielberg thanked the directors who first cast Neill in early films such as "Sleeping Dogs" and "Dead Calm" and noted that Neill’s performance as Dr. Alan Grant brought him to Spielberg’s attention for the 1993 blockbuster.

"Sam was exceptionally collaborative," Spielberg said, adding that the role required Neill to portray a character who disliked messy children, which contrasted with his real-life parenting style. "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," he added. Neill, known for his roles in the original "Jurassic Park" and its sequels, had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2022 but announced earlier this year that he was cancer-free. His family described his death as sudden and unexpected, noting his cancer-free status. Director Colin Trevorrow also posted a tribute on social media, describing Neill as a "deeply soulful and beautiful man" whose calm presence benefited the cast and crew. Beyond the dinosaur franchise, Neill’s five-decade career included films such as "Possession," "The Hunt for Red October," and "The Piano," as well as television series like "Reilly, Ace of Spies," "Merlin," "The Tudors" and "Peaky Blinders."