Sam Neill credits breakthrough cancer treatment for saving his life

He was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

• Pramod Thomas
• 25 September, 2024

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By: Pramod Thomas

ACTOR Sam Neill, best known for his role in Jurassic Park, has shared an important update on his battle with a rare form of blood cancer.

Neill, 77, revealed that recent advances in cancer treatment have been crucial to his survival, stating, “If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you.”

He was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2022.

Speaking on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, Neill explained how his initial chemotherapy stopped working after three months.

Fortunately, he was switched to a new, rare anti-cancer drug that has since placed him in remission. Neill expressed deep gratitude for the advancements in medical science over the past two decades, which have significantly improved the chances of survival for patients like him.

“I’m in remission and as you see, I’m hard at work and enjoying life immensely. I’m very grateful for not just the wonderful care I’ve had from doctors and nurses and so on, but also the strides that have been made in treating these things in the last few years,” he was quoted as saying.

“If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you. I go in (for treatment) once a month now. But it used to be three times a month and it’s down to once a month now. You have sort of three or four horrible days afterwards, and then all is well and you cheer up and I go to the gym and all that.”

Despite his remission, Neill revealed that the drug may not work indefinitely, something his doctors have already warned him about.

However, the actor is taking a philosophical approach to his illness, saying, “I know I’ve got it, but I’m not really interested in it. It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it.”

Neill first spoke about his cancer diagnosis in 2023 while promoting his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?, which he began writing while undergoing chemotherapy.

Reflecting on the intense media focus on his illness, the actor clarified that the story was not just about his cancer but also about his remission, highlighting that he is now “absolutely fine.”

Throughout his career, Neill has appeared in over 70 films, working alongside legendary actors and starring in roles that have left a lasting impact on Hollywood.

Neill, born in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, earned a Golden Globe nomination for Reilly, Ace of Spies in the 1980s and an Emmy nod for his role in Merlin (1998). He also starred in The Piano, which won Best Original Screenplay at the 1993 Oscars, and played Major Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders alongside Cillian Murphy.