07/13/2026
Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park was easily one of Neill’s most iconic roles and something he’ll always be remembered for ❤️
And following his death today, Steven Spielberg said he was ‘saddened’ by the news as he agrees the star will never be forgotten.
The director said in a statement to The Daily Mail: “I owe a debt of gratitude to Roger Donaldson, Gilliam Armstrong, Graham Baker and Phillip Noyce for casting Sam Neill in the roles in which he was so brilliant that brought him to my attention and led to his playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park.
“Sam was exceptionally collaborative. 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.
“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.”
Neill passed away on 13 July in Sydney, Australia, and is also known for his roles in Peaky Blinders, The Piano, Possession and is set to appear posthumously in the films Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort which are expected to be released next year.
