Laura Dern honored Sam Neill, whom she called her "beloved lifetime friend" in an emotional Instagram post.
Following Neill's death on Monday at 78 years old in Sydney, Australia, Dern posted a tribute on Tuesday (July 14) about their three decades of friendship and starring together in the Jurassic Park franchise.
"Sam was my beloved lifetime friend," Dern captioned the post. "He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit. He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant."
Neill and Dern starred in three Jurassic films, including the 1993 inaugural film, the third installment, which was released in 2001, along with Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
Neill's family announced his passing on Instagram, writing that he "was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life."
The statement revealed that Neill’s the death was “sudden and unexpected,” but that Neill was remained cancer-free at the time. In 2022, the late entertainer was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2022 and announced he was free of the disease in April following a clinical trial in Australia.
More condolences on social media poured in from fellow Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum, Steven Spielberg, who directed the first and second installment, and Cillian Murphy, Nicole Kidman and more.
