'Dear friend': Taika Waititi, Robyn Malcolm say goodbye to Sam Neill

“You are so loved and will be sorely missed by us all,” Waititi wrote on Instagram on Wednesday morning.

“Even though you didn't even remember it, I still think your best work is when you explain space travel by poking a pen through a piece of paper in Event Horizon (also the awesome eyes bit), and playing the antichrist, Damien Thorn, in Omen 3. I'm not sure what other roles you did but whatever.

“Love you and see you soon, sweet Nigel.”

Nigel was Sir Sam’s real name which he unofficially changed when he was young alongside other Nigel-named classmates, he told RNZ in 2015.

Sir Sam had named one of his farm animals after Waititi – a tradition for various famous friends.

Farewell messages and tributes from Sir Sam’s colleagues and celebrity friends have continued to pour in since news of his death, including from Kiwis Marlon Williams, Danielle Cormack, Robyn Malcolm, Rhys Darby and Karl Urban.

Cormack and Williams farewelled their co-star from the Australian courtroom drama The Twelve, and remembered his kindness. Williams began by reciting Austrian poet's Rainer Maria Rilke self-composed epitaph, before thanking Sir Sam for his "precious wisdom, curiosity and generosity".

"Our friendship was time-short but fathom-deep. I’ve never felt more comfortable and natural in front of a camera and never learned more behind it. Moe mai ra Sam xx."

Cormack recalled: "you never seemed remotely interested in your own legend".

"I’m so grateful that after all those years of your quiet encouragement and support of my career back in the early ‘90s, I finally got to work alongside you. And, man, it was so much fun!"

Darby, who worked with Sir Sam on three occasions, called him an inspiration and “humble brilliant man”.

“He was the genuine article. An absolute gentleman of the highest order. He named one of his cows after me. His wine is my wife's favourite. We are so saddened today. Thanks for everything Sam. The world has lost an icon. And I'm gonna miss you heaps.”

Malcolm made several Instagram posts remembering the late actor. She wrote he had a profound influence on actors in New Zealand, "even if reluctantly".

"I always thought of Sam as one of those people who would just always be with us.. like the Southern Alps."

Malcolm teased it was a "pleasure to see him squirm any time he was paid a compliment" in her conversation with him for the 2024 Auckland Writers' Festival.

Australian celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Byran Brown and Magda Szubanski, said the beloved star will be greatly missed. Sir Sam had recently been filming in Australia for The Twelve, which earned him two Logie Awards. This year he was nominated for a silver Logie for best lead actor in a drama for his role in The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer.

“Sam was one of the greats, a joy to be around,” Kidman said in a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald. “We met when I was just 18 and he took me under his wing and we stayed friends for life. He was charming, kind, funny and intelligent. He will be greatly missed, and my heart goes out to his family.”

ABC News reported it was during filming of My Brilliant Career (1979) that Sir Sam fell in love with Australia, calling it his second home for many decades. He also became close with actor Bryan Brown.

“I feel I’m more in debt to Australia than Australia is to me," Sir Sam told Australian Story in 2020. "That completely changed my life. And I found myself in Sydney, which was the most exciting place I’d ever seen. So many good filmmakers.”