Sam Neil
“I’m doing well!” The Hollywood star talks about his cancer
Sam Neil
© Jeff Vespa / Getty Images
This news caused dismay among his fans: Sam Neill made his cancer diagnosis public in an interview. Now he is contacting his followers personally and is incredibly brave.
Even before his autobiography is published, Sam Neill, 75, apparently can no longer hold back his secret. Speaking to The Guardian, the Jurassic Park star revealed he’s being treated for stage three blood cancer. A shocking admission that he only made available in his memoir ‘Did I Ever Tell You This’, due out on March 21, 2023 [zu Deutsch: “Hab ich Dir das je erzählt”] wanted to make public. So now it’s out: the New Zealand actor is fighting for his life, but he won’t give up. In a moving statement to his fans, he is brave and in good spirits.
Sam Neill: “I’m alive and well”
“My messages seem to be all over the media right now,” Neill explains at the beginning of his video message via Instagram. The word “cancer” just jumped out at him. “It’s a little tiring because as you can see I’m alive and well and I’ve been in remission for eight months which feels really good.” His words are moving, Neill himself seems touched and deeply touched by the many reactions of dismay that have reached him at the sad headlines. “I’m alive and well and going to work,” he assures. “I’m very happy to be going back to work. We start shooting in seven days. I’m in a movie called ‘Apples Never Fall’ with Annette Bening and a really wonderful cast.”
Book project was the purpose of life after the cancer diagnosis
Sam Neill appears to have underestimated the power of the news surrounding his serious diagnosis. “So here I am, and I just wish the headline wasn’t so much ‘the thing’ because the main thing is that I wrote this book.” But according to “Guardian”, the first chapter delivers the bad news without warning. “The thing is, I’m a crook. I may die,” it says right at the beginning.
Neill himself confirmed in the interview that he started the book project because of his illness. “I had nothing to do anymore. And I’m used to working. I love going to work. I love being with people every day. And all of a sudden I was being deprived of that. And I was like, ‘What should I just do that?'” said the actor, who promptly underwent chemotherapy after being diagnosed with T-cell angioimmunoblastic lymphoma.
“Suddenly I couldn’t go to work anymore”
Cancer is only mentioned in his book because it is the context in which he started writing, Neill clarifies on Instagram and emphasizes again. “I didn’t actually want to write a book, I needed something to do while I was in treatment and I’m used to going to work and all of a sudden I couldn’t go to work.”
The actor is noticeably proud to have put his life into words. The cancer should not play a major role. “So I hope you enjoy it, and don’t worry too much about ‘all of this’ because I’m fine. Okay!”
Sources used: theguardian.com, instagram.com