Alec Baldwin is facing a wave of online criticism after sharing a video tribute to his late co-star Sam Neill, with many viewers accusing the actor of making the heartfelt moment more about himself than the Hollywood legend.
Neill's family announced that the beloved Jurassic Park star had unexpectedly passed away at the age of 78 while in hospital in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, July 13.
Highlights
- Alec Baldwin's tribute to Sam Neill sparked backlash after viewers claimed it focused more on the actor's own career than his late co-star.
- Several disappointed critics labeled Alec's message "narcissistic," arguing that he forgot the purpose of the tribute.
- As Baldwin faced online criticism, other Hollywood stars paid emotional tributes to Sam, celebrating his kindness and legacy.
Baldwin's tribute was quickly ripped apart online, with critics labeling the actor a “narcissist” over the way he chose to honor his late co-star in the nearly three-minute video.
One viewer wrote, “It is classic Baldwin to make everything about himself, even when the goal is supposed to be honoring a legendary co-star.”
Sam Neill passed away at the age of 78 earlier this week despite having remained cancer-free following years of health struggles
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Sam Neill's family confirmed that the acclaimed New Zealand actor had unexpectedly passed away “surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life.”
His family also revealed that his passing came as a complete shock despite the actor remaining cancer-free.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected, but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.”
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They went on to thank the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for caring for the actor during his final days before asking the public to respect the family's privacy as they grieve.
Shortly after the heartbreaking announcement, Alec Baldwin uploaded a self-recorded video captioned “Sam Neill” to his official Instagram account.
“I just wanted to come on here quickly and say how stricken I was to learn of the d**th of Sam Neill,” Baldwin began.
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However, rather than immediately reflecting on Neill's life and legacy, the actor pivoted quickly to discussing their film The Hunt for Red October and its impact on his career.
"When I did The Hunt for Red October, we shot in '89, it came out in 1990... 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 recalled.
Alec then spent much of the video reminiscing about working on the film, describing it as "one of the most exciting" experiences of his career while praising director John McTiernan and recalling meeting author Tom Clancy.
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"What an experience that was. Every time you turned around to do a scene, you were with this great actor," Baldwin said, before fondly recalling individual moments from the film and admitting it remained one of the few movies he could still remember almost scene by scene.
Only in the final seconds of the nearly three-minute video did Alec return to the original reason for recording it.
"Anyway... oh my God. My God. Sam Neill. My love to his family. My love to his family. Wow. Rest in peace."
Social media users accused Alec Baldwin of making the tribute about himself rather than the beloved Jurassic Park star
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As clips of the tribute spread across social media, disappointed users quickly pointed out that Baldwin mentioned Sam only at the beginning and in the final few seconds of the video.
One netizen wrote, "He forgot what he was supposed to be talking about? He had zero to say about Sam."
Another joked, "I think he remembered the purpose of the video in the last 15 secs."
A third person commented, "Wow he just talked about his career and other people. W** is wrong with this guy."
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Another comment read, "Alec Baldwin’s Instagram 'tribute' to… Sam Neill, where he spends almost 3 minutes talking about his own filmography & every other actor… who isn’t Sam Neill might be the most unintentionally funny thing I’ve ever watched."
Another user argued that the video "demonstrates why you should always keep your public tributes focused on the subject rather than yourself."
"Alec Baldwin ONLY cares about Alec Baldwin. What about SAMMMMMMM!?" another questioned.
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Others expressed, "Everyone grieves in their own way, Alec Baldwin chooses to humblebrag."
"Narcissists aren't 'stricken' for very long. For some, the illness or even d**th of someone close is resented by the narcissist for pulling the spotlight of attention away from them… to bring attention back to themselves."
While Alec’s tribute became the subject of intense online debate, many of Neill's other co-stars and collaborators shared messages celebrating the late actor's remarkable career and legacy.
Several Hollywood stars remembered Neill with heartfelt tributes celebrating his kindness and extraordinary legacy
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Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg reflected on working alongside Sam throughout the blockbuster franchise, writing online, "I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.”
“Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”
Neill's longtime friend and co-star Laura Dern also shared an emotional message, remembering the actor not only as a gifted performer but as someone who remained fiercely loyal throughout their decades-long friendship.
“Sam was my beloved lifetime friend," Dern wrote. “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.”
Jeff Goldblum, who also starred alongside Neill in the beloved dinosaur franchise, posted a series of nostalgic behind-the-scenes photographs from the original film and captioned them simply, "The next great adventure begins. Love, always and forever."
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Nicole Kidman, who appeared opposite Sam in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, described him as "one of the greats" and recalled how generously he supported her early in her career when she was just 19 years old.
Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy remembered the late actor as "one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors."
“It is classic Baldwin to make everything about himself, even when the goal is supposed to be honoring a legendary co-star,” one netizen wrote
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