Sam Neill, who died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer, reunited with the son he had placed for adoption years before his death.
The “Jurassic Park” star had his first child when he was in his early twenties. While speaking about his family during an interview in 2014, Neill revealed that when his first son was born, he felt he was too young to be a father.
“My first son, Andrew, was adopted out when he was very young,” the actor told The Times. “I was also quite young, in my early twenties.”
According to the actor, they did not reunite until 25 years later. He said that the first time they met was not as dramatic or emotional as people might imagine.
“I didn’t see him for 25 years,” he told the publication. “These reunions are portrayed as sentimental and morbid, but there is nothing sentimental about them. Nobody cries in anyone else’s arms; it is something much more mature.”
Neill’s death was announced by his family in an emotional statement: “It is with immense sadness that Sam Neill’s whānau (extended family) shares the news of his passing on Monday, July 13, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by his family and passed away with the dignity that characterized his entire life.”
In addition to Andrew, the actor is survived by three other children, Tim, Elena and Maiko, as well as eight grandchildren.
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