Actor Alec Baldwin has faced criticism for a lengthy video tribute posted to Instagram mourning the death of his former co-star Sam Neill. The 68-year-old actor's nearly three-minute video, posted Monday, has been described by some online users as "insane" and "narcissistic," with critics arguing that Baldwin focused more on his own career and experiences than on Neill.
Baldwin and Neill starred together in the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October." In his tribute, Baldwin spoke for a significant portion of the video about his time on the set of the film, including his experiences with director John McTiernan and author Tom Clancy. He also named more than a dozen of his co-stars from the movie, including Sean Connery, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones, Courtney B. Vance, and Stellan Skarsgård. According to reports, Neill was only explicitly mentioned in the first and last approximately five seconds of the video.
Commenters on a Reddit subreddit, /r/fauxmoi/, widely criticized Baldwin's eulogy. One user stated that the post reflected "a man who is thinking about his own eventual death because of the death of a colleague, instead of eulogizing the colleague at all." Another described the "narcissism" as "insane," while a third user compared the numerous name-drops to "a slow, meandering version of We Didn't Start The Fire."
However, some users defended Baldwin, suggesting his remarks were a normal expression of memories for someone of his age. One commenter wrote, "He’s just vibing with memories, sometimes old people ramble haha, I think this sounds kinda normal for someone getting up there in age."
Baldwin concluded his video by saying, "My love to his family." He noted his admiration for the work of his "Hunt for Red October" castmates, stating, "Not me. I'm not a fan of my work but I am a fan of their work."
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor known for his roles in "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died at the age of 78. His family announced his passing on Monday, stating that it was "sudden and unexpected." Neill had previously revealed in April that he was cancer-free after a five-year battle with lymphoma, undergoing a CAR T-cell therapy treatment.
Family members stated that Neill was surrounded by family at the time of his death and that he had been treated at St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney. Details regarding his passing are expected to be shared later, with the family requesting privacy during their period of grief.