Many woke up this morning to the very sad news that Sam Neill died at the age of 78. The New Zealand-born actor’s passing was announced by his family on social media and, quite frankly, it’s hard to believe the beloved thespian is no longer with us. Fans and film pundits alike have since been paying tribute to the late Jurassic Universe star. And, unsurprisingly, a number of Neill’s former collaborators are doing the same, as Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and a host of others have shared incredibly kind words about him.
Laura Dern played the Dr. Ellie Sattler to Sam Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic movies, and the two had incredible on-screen chemistry. Aside from their work, though, Neill and Dern forged a personal friendship, and it was also delightful to see them reunite. Dern reacted to Neill’s death via a statement shared with Variety, and the Oscar winner’s sweet thoughts are so sweet:
