'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill reveals he's battling Stage 3 cancer

vt-author-image

By stefan armitage

Article saved!Article saved!

Sam Neill has shared the devastating news that he is battling Stage 3 cancer.

Speaking to the BBC, the 75 Jurassic Park star revealed that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer back in March 2022 - explaining that he has had "a ferocious type of aggressive" non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

With the illness leaving Neill unable to work, the actor revealed that he has been writing over the past year in order to provide him with a distraction and "give [him] a reason to get through the day".

As a result, he has unveiled his new memoir - titled Did I Ever Tell you This? - in which, he candidly discusses his famed acting career and his battle with cancer.

Neill returned to the Jurassic movie franchise last year, appearing in the third movie of the "requel" series, Jurassic World Dominion last year. In the movie, he was reunited with his original Jurassic Park co-star, Laura Dern.

size-large wp-image-1263201304
Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Credit: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy
Ref: LMK110-J7859-110222
Supplied by LMKMEDIA. Editorial Only.
Landmark Media is not the copyright owner of these Film or TV stills but provides a service only for recognised Media outlets. [email protected]

However, while promoting the movie as part of a publicity tour, Neill noticed he had "lumpy glands in his neck", BBC reports.

After doctors informed him of the diagnosis, the star reveals that he started to "take stock of things", and started to write about his life.

"I didn't think I had a book in me," he admitted, adding: "I just thought I'd write some stories. And I found it increasingly engrossing. A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghost writer - but it's come out in record time.

"I suspect my publishers, they're delightful people, but I think they wanted to get it out in a hurry just in case I kicked the bucket before it was time to release the thing."

The actor underwent chemotherapy in order to fight the illness - writing in the memoir that this caused him to face a "bald, wizened old man" in the mirror.

"More than anything I want my beard back. I don't like the look of my face one bit," Niell revealed.

Although the actor did not respond well to his early rounds of chemotherapy, he was soon placed on a new chemo drug, which had an incredible effect on his condition.

In some hopeful news, the actor did reveal - although he will have to take the drug for the rest of his life - he is now in remission.

"I'm not afraid of dying," the Peaky Blinders said. "What I don't want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living."

We wish Neill the very best for the future.

Did I Ever Tell you This? will be available on March 21.

If you or somebody you love has been impacted by cancer, you can contact The American Cancer Society 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1-800-227-2345. For more information about Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, click here
Featured image credit: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy

'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill reveals he's battling Stage 3 cancer

vt-author-image

By stefan armitage

Article saved!Article saved!

Sam Neill has shared the devastating news that he is battling Stage 3 cancer.

Speaking to the BBC, the 75 Jurassic Park star revealed that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer back in March 2022 - explaining that he has had "a ferocious type of aggressive" non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

With the illness leaving Neill unable to work, the actor revealed that he has been writing over the past year in order to provide him with a distraction and "give [him] a reason to get through the day".

As a result, he has unveiled his new memoir - titled Did I Ever Tell you This? - in which, he candidly discusses his famed acting career and his battle with cancer.

Neill returned to the Jurassic movie franchise last year, appearing in the third movie of the "requel" series, Jurassic World Dominion last year. In the movie, he was reunited with his original Jurassic Park co-star, Laura Dern.

size-large wp-image-1263201304
Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Credit: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy
Ref: LMK110-J7859-110222
Supplied by LMKMEDIA. Editorial Only.
Landmark Media is not the copyright owner of these Film or TV stills but provides a service only for recognised Media outlets. [email protected]

However, while promoting the movie as part of a publicity tour, Neill noticed he had "lumpy glands in his neck", BBC reports.

After doctors informed him of the diagnosis, the star reveals that he started to "take stock of things", and started to write about his life.

"I didn't think I had a book in me," he admitted, adding: "I just thought I'd write some stories. And I found it increasingly engrossing. A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghost writer - but it's come out in record time.

"I suspect my publishers, they're delightful people, but I think they wanted to get it out in a hurry just in case I kicked the bucket before it was time to release the thing."

The actor underwent chemotherapy in order to fight the illness - writing in the memoir that this caused him to face a "bald, wizened old man" in the mirror.

"More than anything I want my beard back. I don't like the look of my face one bit," Niell revealed.

Although the actor did not respond well to his early rounds of chemotherapy, he was soon placed on a new chemo drug, which had an incredible effect on his condition.

In some hopeful news, the actor did reveal - although he will have to take the drug for the rest of his life - he is now in remission.

"I'm not afraid of dying," the Peaky Blinders said. "What I don't want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living."

We wish Neill the very best for the future.

Did I Ever Tell you This? will be available on March 21.

If you or somebody you love has been impacted by cancer, you can contact The American Cancer Society 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1-800-227-2345. For more information about Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, click here
Featured image credit: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy