Alec Baldwin is among the well-known names paying tribute to Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill following his death earlier this week. But not everyone reacted positively to Baldwin’s message, with some viewers arguing that his post focused very little on Neill himself.
Neill died on Monday, July 13, at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, his family confirmed. No cause of death was initially given, though it has since been reported that he died after contracting pneumonia, according to PEOPLE.
Neill, whose screen career stretched across decades and included acclaimed turns in Jurassic Park, The Piano and the 1990 political thriller The Hunt for Red October, had spoken publicly in recent years about his health. In 2023, he revealed he had been treated for stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, and earlier this year he said he was cancer-free after taking part in a clinical trial.
Not long after the news broke, Baldwin — who appeared with Neill in The Hunt for Red October — shared a video on Instagram addressing the loss.
“I just want to come on here quickly and say how stricken I was to learn of the death of Sam Neill.”
From there, Baldwin reflected on his time making the 1990 thriller, though some fans felt his comments drifted away from Neill and became more about his own memories of the production.
“That was probably my first big movie in terms of having a decent-sized role. Because I’d done Working Girl and Beetlejuice, and things like that where I had a smaller role,”
He went on to say that one of the highlights for him was meeting Tom Clancy.
Continuing to speak warmly about the ensemble, Baldwin also said:
“And obviously Sean, Larry Ferguson, Scott Glenn, Tim Curry, um James Earl Jones, Peter Firth, Richard Jordan, Joss Ackland, Courtney Vance, Danny Davis, Fred Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Ron Gutman, Stellan Skarsgard. And that’s just, you know, the more recognizable names.”
He continued reminiscing before ending the clip with a brief message to Neill’s loved ones.
“My love to his family. Rest in peace.”
Some viewers said they were frustrated by what they saw as a tribute that wandered off-topic.
“You didn’t say anything about Sam,”
commented one social media user.
“Start with Sam and end of a monologue about himself…really?”
wrote another.
“Damn. I kept waiting to hear some good things regarding Sam Neill. Not much of a tribute to Sam but just a name mention. Do better Alec.”
said a third.
“What an underwhelming tribute to Sam Neill,”
read another response.
“Was this post even about Sam?”
asked a fifth commenter.
Still, plenty of others defended Baldwin’s message and appreciated the sentiment behind it.
“Wonderful things to say Alec.
read one supportive comment.
“I admire how you speak so kindly of others Sam Neill,”
said another.
Neill’s death came only months after he had shared that he was cancer-free, following a diagnosis of stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2002.
Born in Northern Ireland and raised in New Zealand, Neill became one of the most recognisable actors of his generation, earning a devoted following through major studio films and prestige dramas alike. In The Hunt for Red October, he played Soviet submariner Captain Vasily Borodin opposite Sean Connery and Baldwin’s Jack Ryan, a role that remains one of the film’s most memorable supporting performances.