According to Page Six, Alec Baldwin is facing backlash after posting a video tribute on Instagram following the death of his former co-star, Sam Neill. The 68-year-old actor shared the nearly three-minute clip on July 13, 2026, after news broke that Neill had died at the age of 78 in Sydney, Australia. The video was intended to honor the late actor, but it focused heavily on Baldwin’s own memories of their 1990 film, The Hunt for Red October.
The main point of criticism is that Baldwin only mentioned Neill during the opening 10 seconds and the final 5 seconds of the entire video. At the start, Baldwin said, “I just wanted to come on here quickly and say, how stricken I was to learn of the death of Sam Neill.” He briefly referenced their time working together, saying, “When I did The Hunt for Red October, we shot in ’89, it came out in 1990, a long time ago.”
After that brief introduction, the rest of the video shifted toward Baldwin’s personal experiences during the production. He spent most of the time talking about his role as Jack Ryan, praising director John McTiernan, and recounting his meeting with author Tom Clancy.
Baldwin circled back to Neill only in the final seconds, closing with a message to his family
During the middle portion of the clip, Baldwin name-dropped 14 different castmates, including Sean Connery, Tim Curry, and James Earl Jones, and even performed an impression of Jones while recalling a specific moment involving actor Ronald Guttman smoking a cigarette while practicing a Russian accent.
It was only near the very end of the video that Baldwin returned to the subject of Neill. He concluded by saying, “That is one of the few movies I have ever done where I remember the whole movie. That’s what a fan I am of that work. Not me. I’m not a fan of my work but I am a fan of their work. Anyway, oh my God. My God. Sam Neill. My love to his family, My love to his family.”
The reaction on social media was swift, particularly on X, where viewers criticized the structure of the tribute. One user commented, “It is classic Baldwin to make everything about himself, even when the goal is supposed to be honoring a legendary co-star.”
Another wrote, “He forgot what he was supposed to be talking about? He had zero to say about Sam.” A third user added, “I think he remembered the purpose of the video in the last 15 secs.” This incident adds to a series of recent public controversies for the actor, including his legal battle over the film Rust.
Despite the criticism, some followers on Instagram defended the video. One commenter wrote, “You always talk so calming and compassionate and so kindly about all the people you have worked with.” Another said, “You didn’t say much about Sam Neill but good introspection about Red October. I should see it again! Sam Neill was magnificent. Had a crush on him for decades!”
Sam Neill passed away on July 13, 2026. His family released a statement confirming that he had died surrounded by loved ones. The statement also noted that he had recently been declared cancer-free following his treatment for blood cancer, making the news of his passing unexpected to many who had followed his recovery. His death came as a shock, as he had recently been declared cancer-free after his battle with a rare form of blood cancer.
Published: Jul 15, 2026 10:30 am