Murphy, Steven Spielberg and Nicole Kidman among actors, directors and leaders to pay tribute to Sam Neill following his deathActor Sam Neill at Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. Photograph: Geoff Robins / AFP Sian CainMon Jul 13 2026 - 16:47 • 4 MIN READSam Neill’s friends, peers and admirers have rushed to pay tribute to the actor, after his sudden death on Monday at the age of 78.Cillian Murphy, who starred alongside Neill in Peaky Blinders, described him as “one of the finest actors”.“Like everyone who knew and worked with Sam, I admired him and adored him in equal measure,” Murphy said in a statement. “He was one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors.”Steven Spielberg, who directed Neill in Jurassic Park, said he was “saddened” by the news of Neill’s death. “Sam was exceptionally collaborative,” Spielberg said. “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.”Nicole Kidman, who starred with Neill in 1989’s Dead Calm, said the actor was “one of the greats” and “a joy to be around,” in a statement. “He was charming, kind, funny and intelligent. He will be greatly missed and my heart goes out to his family.”Richard E Grant, a friend of Neill’s for more than three decades who starred alongside him in 2019’s Palm Beach, called him “an officer and a gentleman in the truest sense”. Grant said Neill “guided and helped me through a very difficult time in my life”.[ Remembering Sam Neill: The breadth of Omagh-born actor’s work was extraordinaryOpens in new window ]Alan Cumming called him “a glorious beautiful man”, while Kylie Minogue wrote: “Vale Sam,” a Latin term for farewell or goodbye used in Australia.Actor Magda Szubanski, a friend who Neill once named one of his ducks after, said she was “absolutely shocked” by his death.“When I spoke to him not long ago, he was cancer-free and really happy and excited about life, so this is just devastating,” she said. “He was just a one-off. Just such a talented, classy, beautiful, wry, warm human being.”[ The remarkable life of Sam Neill, from Omagh to Jurassic Park - in picturesOpens in new window ]The Australian journalist Laura Tingle, with whom Neill had a relationship, posted pictures of them together on Instagram and wrote: “Sweet Dreams darling Sam.”The New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said Neill was one of the greats: “He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of,” Luxon said in a social media post. “For more than 50 years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports. His work will be watched and loved long after all of us.”Also paying tribute was Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese: “Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts. Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance. He will be much mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.”Former New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern said in a Facebook post that she’d spent time with Neill just a few weeks ago where they discussed “life, politics, and home”. She added: “He was such a thoughtful, curious, and decent person. Someone who was principled, unafraid of speaking his mind, and willing to take up a fight when he saw injustice. He was also an artist, and anyone who watched him perform knew he was someone special.”[ Sam ‌Neill, Irish-New Zealand actor, dies aged 78Opens in new window ]Fijian New Zealand director Toa Fraser, whose film Dean Spanley starred Neill as the titular character, said: “Sam championed me and so many of us right from the start. He changed my life, by his example and his actions … it’s one of my big regrets that when he came to me on the set of Dean Spanley (more than once) and said, ‘Do you want to come for dinner,’ I declined. I had homework to do.“Well I will be raising a glass of Hungarian Tokay this evening to him, and probably a glass of Pinot in the Burgundian tradition to him and his mentor James Mason too.”[ Sam Neill: ‘I’m not having Jimmy Nesbitt turned into sausages’Opens in new window ]Outside his acting work, Neill was a passionate environmentalist who campaigned for various causes including marine conservation and against mining proposals in New Zealand. After his death, New Zealand’s department of conservation called Neill “a legendary Kiwi” and “a fierce and passionate champion for our environment”.“Whether it was advocating for our native species, supporting local conservation projects, or simply sharing his deep love for our unique landscapes, Sam walked the talk. He understood that our nature isn’t just something to look at, it’s something we must cherish and protect. His warmth, wit, and unwavering voice for the wild will be deeply missed.” – GuardianIN THIS SECTION