Entertainment News2 min(s) read
Published 15:18 13 Jul 2026 GMT
Sam Neill's heartbreaking response after being told he had terminal cancer as Jurassic Park star dies aged 78
Just hours after the tragic news of the death of Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders star Sam Neill broke, it has been revealed that his cancer was the reason he wrote a memoir in 2023.
The New Zealand-born actor, 78, was thought to be cancer-free at the time of his death; he was diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer in March 2022.
The devastating diagnosis inspired him to create something he could leave behind for his four children and eight grandchildren, so he wrote a book titled Did I Ever Tell You This?
In an interview from the time, the actor, who passed away in Sydney, said that if he died suddenly he wanted his young grandchildren to be able to paint an accurate picture of him and “get a sense of me”.
Recalling why he wrote the memoir, Neill told ABC: "I thought it would be great for them to have some of my stories.
"I mightn't be here in a month or two. We'll leave something for them."
Neill turned to writing following his cancer diagnosis
Neill explained that the memoir, which was published in March 2023, just a year after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he described as a "ferocious type of aggressive” blood cancer, was written while he was receiving treatment.
Speaking to ABC, he said: "I started to look at my life and realise how immensely grateful I am for so much of it.
"I started to think I better write some of this down because I'm not sure how long I have to live. I was running against the clock."
The Piano star was declared cancer-free in April after switching to CAR-T cell therapy, a more specialized type of immunotherapy, after initially receiving chemotherapy.
The specialist treatment meant that he then had to have regular infusions of the drug to continue fighting cancerous cells, although he was aware that it would eventually stop working.
Neill's death was reportedly not caused by cancer
Although Neill’s cause of death was not listed in the statement announcing the news of his sudden death posted by his family on social media, the family did confirm it was not cancer-related.
The heartbreaking statement read: "The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free.
"More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
Thankfully, the family also confirmed in the tragic post that Neill was “surrounded by family” when he took his last breaths and he “passed away with dignity”, a sentiment that “characterised his whole life”.
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