Jurassic Park star's inspiring journey to remission: 'It's great to be alive'
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In a tale as gripping as any Hollywood script, Sam Neill, known for his iconic role in Jurassic Park (1993), has been waging a personal battle far from the silver screen.
At 76, Neill has been facing a grim fight against stage-three blood cancer, a diagnosis that came as a shock during an already challenging time.
The New Zealand-born actor revealed that he received the distressing news in 2022, shortly after returning to his homeland for the first time in two years due to pandemic-related lockdowns.
It was a moment that should have been filled with joyous reunions, but the weight of illness overshadowed it.
Neill's son, Tim, shared the heart-wrenching moment with Australian Story, recounting how they shared tears over the diagnosis.
Despite the diagnosis, Neill continued to work, filming his series The Twelve (2022) in the historic and picturesque city of York.
He described the alternating cycle of treatment and work as having its grim moments, particularly after chemotherapy sessions that left him feeling depleted.
‘It just meant that every second week, it was a case of forgetting about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,’ he said.
‘But other than that, it's great to be alive and working in beautiful places like York.’
His son Tim witnessed firsthand the toll it took on his father, seeing him reduced to 'bones and skin.'
‘When he hung the phone up, we sat down and had a little bit of a cry together. It was supposed to be a happy day. He didn't get to stay,’ he recounted.
‘I was in really a fight for my life. And everything was a new world and a rather alarming world.’
‘I had three or four months of reasonably conventional chemotherapies, which are brutal.’
Tim visited his dad during his chemotherapy sessions and was shocked by how frail he had become.
'I was shocked, and I broke down, and I could barely hug him. He was just, you know, bones and skin.’
‘And then he was giving me a hard time for being upset about it and saying I was stressing him out, but I was going, "What are you talking about, Dad?”’ he said.
But there was a glimmer of hope. When the cancer returned, more aggressive than before, Neill was placed on an experimental drug that, fortunately, began to show positive results.
Now in remission for almost two years, Neill has adopted a pragmatic approach to his illness, acknowledging its presence but refusing to let it dominate his life.
His treatment regimen is rigorous, requiring infusions every two weeks—a routine he will maintain for the rest of his life or until the drug ceases to be effective.
‘I know I've got it, but I'm not interested. It's out of my control. If you can't control it, don't get into it,’ Neill said.
Have you watched any of Sam Neill’s hit movies? What is your favourite memory of the actor? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.
At 76, Neill has been facing a grim fight against stage-three blood cancer, a diagnosis that came as a shock during an already challenging time.
The New Zealand-born actor revealed that he received the distressing news in 2022, shortly after returning to his homeland for the first time in two years due to pandemic-related lockdowns.
It was a moment that should have been filled with joyous reunions, but the weight of illness overshadowed it.
Sam Neill shared his experience dealing with stage-three blood cancer after undergoing intensive treatment. Credit: The Independent / YouTube
Neill's son, Tim, shared the heart-wrenching moment with Australian Story, recounting how they shared tears over the diagnosis.
Despite the diagnosis, Neill continued to work, filming his series The Twelve (2022) in the historic and picturesque city of York.
He described the alternating cycle of treatment and work as having its grim moments, particularly after chemotherapy sessions that left him feeling depleted.
‘It just meant that every second week, it was a case of forgetting about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,’ he said.
‘But other than that, it's great to be alive and working in beautiful places like York.’
His son Tim witnessed firsthand the toll it took on his father, seeing him reduced to 'bones and skin.'
‘When he hung the phone up, we sat down and had a little bit of a cry together. It was supposed to be a happy day. He didn't get to stay,’ he recounted.
‘I was in really a fight for my life. And everything was a new world and a rather alarming world.’
‘I had three or four months of reasonably conventional chemotherapies, which are brutal.’
Tim visited his dad during his chemotherapy sessions and was shocked by how frail he had become.
'I was shocked, and I broke down, and I could barely hug him. He was just, you know, bones and skin.’
‘And then he was giving me a hard time for being upset about it and saying I was stressing him out, but I was going, "What are you talking about, Dad?”’ he said.
But there was a glimmer of hope. When the cancer returned, more aggressive than before, Neill was placed on an experimental drug that, fortunately, began to show positive results.
Now in remission for almost two years, Neill has adopted a pragmatic approach to his illness, acknowledging its presence but refusing to let it dominate his life.
His treatment regimen is rigorous, requiring infusions every two weeks—a routine he will maintain for the rest of his life or until the drug ceases to be effective.
‘I know I've got it, but I'm not interested. It's out of my control. If you can't control it, don't get into it,’ Neill said.
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