EXCLUSIVE: Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern Toast Late Friend Sam Neill With His Top Tipple

Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern have honored their late friend Sam Neill by raising glasses of wine from the actor's own vineyard, paying a personal tribute to the celebrated star just weeks after his death at the age of 78.

RadarOnline.com can reveal the two actors, who shared memorable screen partnerships with Neill during their careers, came together to remember the New Zealand-born actor with a bottle from Two Paddocks, the Central Otago winery Neill founded in 1993.

Kidman, 59, starred opposite Neill in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm, while Dern, also 59, appeared alongside him in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park.

Their tribute follows an outpouring of grief from colleagues and fans after Neill died on July 13 in Sydney, Australia.

A friend of the actors claimed to Radar: "Nicole and Laura wanted to celebrate Sam in a way that reflected who he was. His vineyard was one of his greatest passions outside acting, so sharing a bottle of his top Pinot tipple felt like the perfect way to remember him and everything he meant to the people who loved him."

Dern shared a photograph of herself and Kidman smiling together on Instagram Stories alongside a bottle of Two Paddocks wine.

She said: "Raising a glass to our beloved friend and leading man, Sam."

Dern added: "Just the way he would want, toasting with his gorgeous Pinot."

Neill established the winery more than three decades ago, and it became one of the pursuits he most frequently spoke about away from the film industry.

The vineyard earned an international reputation for producing premium Pinot Noir and was a source of immense pride throughout his later years.

The tribute from Kidman and Dern comes after Kidman reflected on her decades-long friendship with Neill in a statement following news of his death.

She said: "Sam was one of the greats, a joy to be around."

The Oscar winner added: "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."

Neill's death prompted widespread tributes across the entertainment industry, while his representatives also moved to address inaccurate speculation surrounding the circumstances of his passing.

His agent, Kelly Grenz, confirmed in a statement to USA Today and other outlets that Neill died from pneumonia after previously overcoming lymphoma through CAR-T therapy.

Grenz said: "Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy."

The agent also confirmed Neill's family would hold a private memorial rather than a public service.

Neill's family announced his death through a statement shared on his official social media accounts.

It said: "It is with immense sadness that the whanau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia."

The statement continued: "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free."

Neill's family also thanked the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for caring for the actor during his final illness.

They said they wanted to "express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for their incredible care."

The statement added: "More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss."