'Jurassic Park' star Laura Dern breaks silence on Sam Neill's death

Laura Dern has broken her silence on the death of Jurassic Park costar Sam Neill.

Neill, best known for his role of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, passed away on July 13 at the age of 78. The news of his death was announced by his family in a statement shared on Instagram.

Later, in a statement shared with People Magazine, Dern paid an emotional tribute to the beloved actor. "Sam was my beloved lifetime friend… He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit," the actress wrote.

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

On the other hand, the director of the franchise Steven Spielberg also paid an emotional tribute on social media, writing, "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."

He further praised Neill, saying, "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," Steven shared.

It is pertinent to mention that Sam Neill maintained close friendships with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum for decades. The trio also reunited in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this year, playfully referencing the original 1993 Jurassic Park.