Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Laura Dern And Friends Remember ‘One Of The Greats’

It’s a heartbreaking week for film fans, with news that Sam Neill has died suddenly at the age of 78.

Across Hollywood, New Zealand and Australia, the people who worked with him and loved him are sharing tributes that paint a picture of a gentle, funny, quietly legendary bloke.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman, who starred opposite Neill in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, credited him with taking her under his wing when she was still a teenager.

“Sam was one of the greats … a joy to be around,” she said in a statement.

“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”.

Steven Spielberg

Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg remembered Neill as “exceptionally collaborative” and highlighted the gap between the grumpy-on-screen palaeontologist and the devoted dad he knew in real life.

“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,” Spielberg said in a statement to Variety.

“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”.

Laura Dern

Dern, who called Neill her “beloved lifetime friend”, spoke about the loyalty and care he showed the people around him.

“He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit,” she said.

“He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr Alan Grant”.

Jeff Goldblum

Goldblum posted a carousel of photos of the trio and kept his message simple but gutting: “The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever. 🦕💕”.

Jimmy Barnes

Closer to home, Jimmy Barnes shared how Neill was there for him in hospital, and how they swapped time and care over the years.

“I can’t believe we will no longer be eating great food together and sharing the odd glass of wine down at his winery, while laughing, singing and solving the problems of the world together,” he said.

“Sam was a big part of our lives. He was family. He lifted our spirits when he walked in the room.

“He sat with me while I recovered in hospital, and I sat with him when he needed me. We shared a lot in this life, and for that, I will always be thankful.

“Rest easy, dear Sam. You are always in our hearts”.

Laura Tingle

ABC global affairs editor Laura Tingle, who was in a relationship with Neill for three years, shared a montage of their life together, captioned simply: “Sweet Dreams darling Sam”.

Richard Wilkins

Nine’s Richard Wilkins remembered his mate as someone who never carried himself like a movie star, despite being in some of the biggest films of all time.

“He was just so generous, so loving, so supportive,” Wilkins said.

“To many of us Kiwis who came to Australia to have a crack, he was the embodiment of the way it should be done.

“Sam was such a class act. He never claimed to be the best actor in the world, but he got lucky with a couple of big roles and he just handled it all in his stride. You’d bump into him any place, anywhere, and you’d forget that he’d been in some of the biggest movies of all time”.

Sharon Johal

Actress Sharon Johal who worked with Neil on the second season of The Twelve shared a heartfelt Instagram carousel of the pair.

“The world has lost an incredible stand-up human today,” she wrote.

“I will never forget the first day I met Sam and how he beelined towards me, a little unknown to someone of his calibre and success, to ask me about my life story with curiosity and kindness, particularly as I was in cultural wear.

“That’s how he made everyone in the room feel, no matter who they were, seen.”

Magda Szubanski

Magda Szubanski said in an Instagram Video that she was “absolutely devastated”, remembering him as “such a talented, classy, beautiful, wry and warm human being” and “a one-off”.

Toni Collette

Toni Collette called Neill a “hero. You legend. You sweetheart. Our great friend. You are already missed so very much. Continue in peace wherever you are”.

Prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon

Prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon both honoured Neill as a cultural force in Australia and New Zealand, with Albanese writing that he “will be much mourned and long remembered” and Luxon calling him “one of our greatest cultural exports” whose work “will be watched and loved long after all of us”.

Neill’s family confirmed in a statement that his death was “sudden and unexpected”, noting that he remained cancer-free after his recent battle with blood cancer and spent his final years on the farm he loved so much in New Zealand.

Although the news sent shockwaves through fans and colleagues around the world, he will clearly be remembered as far more than a headline about his passing.