Sam Neill heartbreakingly spoke out about being cancer-free, just months before his death aged 78

Sam Neill, the actor best known for starring in Jurassic Park, has died aged 78.

A statement shared on Neill’s social media confirmed he died on Monday in Sydney. It described his death as “sudden and unexpected” and said he had “remained cancer free” at the time of his death. No cause of death has been confirmed.

 

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Neill revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with stage-three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He first spoke publicly about his diagnosis in his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?, explaining that he had been undergoing treatment while writing the book.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2023, he reflected on living with cancer, saying: “I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments. But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends.”

Earlier this year, Neill shared the positive news that he was cancer-free after taking part in a clinical trial for CAR T-cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy used to treat certain blood cancers.

Speaking to Australia’s 7News, Neill explained that chemotherapy had initially kept the disease under control before it stopped working.

“I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years and I was on chemotherapy, [which is] pretty miserable business but it was keeping me alive,” he said.

When the treatment became ineffective, Neill admitted: “I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out – which wasn’t ideal obviously.”

He then joined a clinical trial in Australia testing CAR T-cell therapy for his form of lymphoma. Following the treatment, he received life-changing news.

“I’ve just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing,” Neill said. “I’m very, very excited that this can happen.”

He ended the interview on an optimistic note, adding: “It’s time I did another movie.”

Across a career spanning more than five decades, Neill became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable faces, appearing in films including Jurassic Park, The Piano, Event Horizon, The Hunt for Red October and Thor: Ragnarok.

He remained a hugely respected actor on both the big screen and television, with fans around the world celebrating his work following news of his death.

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