Sam Neill shares update on cancer battle: I'm 'not remotely afraid' of death

Sam Neill, the Jurassic Park star who was diagnosed with stage 3 blood cancer in 2022, knows the treatment that sent him into remission will eventually stop working.

During an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Australian Story, the 76-year-old explained that his doctors initially tried chemotherapy, but it stopped working after three months. They then switched to the drug that successfully put his cancer into remission, though it has difficult side effects and requires infusions every two weeks. Neill's doctors have since informed him that the drug will lose its effectiveness over time.

"I'm prepared for that," Neill told the outlet, adding that while dying would be "annoying" given all he has left to do, he is "not remotely afraid."

Though Neill described the few days after treatment as "very grim and depressing," he is "so pleased to be awake" every morning.

Neill revealed in his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, that he experienced swollen glands while doing publicity for Jurassic World Dominion in March 2022. This led to his diagnosis and eventual treatment plan. Following the revelation, reps for the actor told EW that Neill was "very well and back at work," and he has been cancer-free for 12 months now.

Prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes shutting down production, Neill was filming the Peacock limited series Apples Never Fall based on the Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. He and Annette Bening star as two former tennis coaches whose four children prod at their marriage when Bening's character goes missing.

During his conversation with the Australian outlet, Neill said that the idea of retiring from acting "fills me with horror." Reflecting on his career and past opportunities to work with talented actors including Bening, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Meryl Streep, he added, "I can't tell you how privileged I am to spend that amount of time with so many actors, so many of whom I've really enjoyed and so many of whom I've really admired."

Outside of his career, Neill is focused on his vineyards, garden and grandchildren. Following his diagnosis, the actor said, "I started to look at my life and realize how immensely grateful I am for so much of it."

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