Sam Neill ‘grateful’ to still be alive as he shares cancer battle update | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

Sam Neill has expressed his gratitude for the advancements in blood cancer treatment, saying “if this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around”.

The 77 year old actor, who faced a diagnosis of stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2022, had to take a brief hiatus from his acting career.

However, the star, famed for his portrayal of Dr. Alan Grant in the iconic Jurassic Park franchise, shared with Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast that he’s back in action and relishing life to the fullest.

Neill remarked: “I’m in remission and as you see, I’m hard at work and enjoying life immensely.”

He continued to express his appreciation, stating, “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.”

Reflecting on the potential outcomes if his illness had occurred decades earlier, Neill observed, “If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you.”

Discussing his current treatment regimen, he added, “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.”

Despite the challenges post-treatment, Neill maintains a positive outlook: “You have sort three or four horrible days afterwards, and then all is well and you cheer up and I go to the gym and all that.”

Born in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the New Zealand actor previously mentioned that he first noticed symptoms, such as swollen glands, during the promotion of Jurassic World Dominion in March 2022.

Throughout his illustrious career, Neill has been recognised with a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the 1980s series Reilly, Ace Of Spies and an Emmy nod for his role as the eponymous wizard in 1998’s Merlin, alongside Fight Club star Helena Bonham Carter and the late James Earl Jones, famed for his portrayal of Darth Vader in Star Wars.

He also featured in the award-winning period drama The Piano, which bagged the Oscar for best original screenplay in 1993, and played Major Chester Campbell in the hit BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders, sharing the screen with Cillian Murphy.

The complete interview can be accessed on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time, available across all podcast platforms.