Sam Neill Reassures Fans That His Cancer Is in Remission: ‘Let’s Not Worry Too Much’
Movie lovers received some shocking news this week when Sam Neill revealed that he has been battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma for the past year. His comments about not being afraid to die attracted particular attention, causing many to express their support for the beloved actor.
But the “Jurassic Park” star doesn’t want his fans to spend too much time worrying about him. Following the intitial news cycle, Neill posted a video on his personal Instagram account to remind his fans that he is on the mend — and he would rather that they focus on his work.
More from IndieWire
“My news seems to be all over the news at the moment, and it’s sort of ‘Cancer! Cancer! Cancer!’” Neill wrote in the post’s caption. “Which is slightly tiresome because as you see, I am alive and well and I have been in remission for eight months, which feels really good. And I’m alive and kicking and I’m going to work. I’m very happy to be going back to work. We start filming in seven days time. I’m doing a thing called ‘Apples Never Fall’ with Annette Bening, and a really wonderful cast. So here I am, and I just wish the headline wasn’t ‘that thing’ so much.”
Neill went on to explain that the break he was forced to take from acting prompted him to write his upcoming memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” He said that writing the book was a surprisingly positive experience, and he doesn’t want his diagnosis to interfere with people’s enjoyment of it.
“I didn’t really mean to write a book, I needed something to do while I was undergoing treatment, and I am used to going to work and I suddenly couldn’t go to work. So that’s why I wrote the book, and I have to say there’s been great response to it. People seem to love it, which is great. I was very nervous, obviously as a first time author. Anyway, I think it’s fun. We sub-titled it ‘Movies, Life, Love and Other Catastrophes.’ So it gives you an idea of all the crazy things that have happened to me. The tone of the book is one of surprise. I never thought that I would have a career as an actor, let alone an actor on screen. But that’s kind of what happened and I am full of gratitude looking back on this life, and that’s what the book is about. I hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed reading the audiobook the other day, I hadn’t looked at the book for quite a while but I found it more entertaining than I expected.
“I hope you enjoy it, and let’s not worry too much about ‘all that’ because I’m fine,” he concluded. “Okay!”
Best of IndieWire
The 22 Best Nude Scenes in Film, from 'Shortbus' to 'Blue Velvet'
The Best 36 LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
New Movies: Release Calendar for March 17, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
