Sam Neill says ‘I wouldn’t be around’ if blood cancer treatment hadn’t improved

Actor Sam Neill has said he is grateful for the advances being made in treating blood cancer, revealing “if this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around”.

The 77-year-old New Zealand actor best known for his role as palaeontologist Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022.

Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, the Hollywood star said that he was now “hard at work and enjoying life immensely” after taking a short break from acting.

The Event Horizon and Possession actor said: “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 added: “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.”

Neill, who was born in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, previously said he first experienced swollen glands during publicity for Jurassic World Dominion in March 2022.

In his book Did I Ever Tell You This?, Neill discussed his treatment for cancer, including how chemotherapy started to fail before he began taking a new chemo drug, which he will take monthly for the rest of his life.

During his acting career, Neill was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the 1980s series Reilly, Ace Of Spies and an Emmy as the titular wizard in 1998’s Merlin opposite Fight Club actress Helena Bonham Carter and the late James Earl Jones, known for portraying Darth Vader in Star Wars.

He also starred in the period drama The Piano which won best original screenplay at the Oscars in 1993 and as Major Chester Campbell in BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders alongside Cillian Murphy.

The full interview can be heard on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time, which is available to listen to on all podcast platforms.

Additional reporting by PA.