Jurassic Park child actors Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards have paid tribute to their costar, Sam Neill, after his death at 78.
Mazzello, 42, and Richards, 46, played siblings Tim and Lex Murphy in the 1993 dinosaur blockbuster. They were aged nine and 13 when the movie came out.
Neill starred opposite them as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant. The actor died in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, three months after announcing he was cancer free, prompting tributes from fellow stars including Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern.
In a video posted to Instagram, Mazzello fought back tears while speaking about Neill’s “shocking” death, calling him “the best of us.”
He said, “I had been following his cancer diagnosis and his recovery and was so happy and thankful when I found out he was cancer-free, so this just comes, I think, as an extra gut-punch, because I thought he was through it — but that is life, isn’t it?
Mazzello recalled that Neill had left a supportive comment on one of his Instagram posts in March, writing, “All the best, Joey.”
“I didn’t even realize he was following me,” Mazzello said. “I didn’t know that he even thought about me anymore. But he was rooting for me. He was still rooting for me 33 years later. That was so special to me to know that.”
The actor described the filming of Jurassic Park as a “defining moment” in his life, saying, “It’s not easy working with kids, and Sam only pretended he hated us. He was actually an amazing scene partner, and it doesn’t feel like that long ago that we were just ad-libbing together and climbing down trees and up fences.
“I’m so thankful for him. I’m so thankful that he was so great in that movie, because he made us great too. I always hoped that we would work together again, on a Jurassic or anything, but it wasn’t to be.
“He was the best of us. I can’t say enough good about it, and it’s just still shocking. Love you, Sam.”
Richards also shared a tribute to Neill, writing: “Sam — you were more than just a lovely actor to work with — refined, thoughtful, a skill second to none — you were a mentor, protector, and above all, friend.
“Thank you for making our scenes together feel so real. I will be forever grateful to have been on this journey with you.”
While Mazzello and Richards both made cameo appearances in 1997’s sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Neill sat out the sequel before returning as Dr. Grant in 2001’s Jurassic Park III and 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion.
Mazzello went on to appear in films including The Social Network and Bohemian Rhapsody, while Richards pursued a career as an artist after largely stepping away from acting.
Mazzello and Richards played siblings Tim and Lex Murphy in the blockbuster.
(Murray Close via Getty Images)
Dern, who played Dr. Grant’s partner Ellie Sattler, described Neil as “my beloved lifetime friend,” adding, “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.”
Goldblum, who played mathematician Ian Malcolm, shared a photo of himself with Dern and Neill from Jurassic Park, writing on Instagram, “The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever.”
Director Steven Spielberg said he “adored” working with Neill, adding, “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.”