Sam Neill apologises to fans in emotional new video about cancer battle

The blockbuster star held back tears in a video to fans on social media, after airing a sad update about his cancer battle during an ABC interview.

Sam Neill has fought back tears in a new video posted to his supporters, in which he apologised for “worrying everybody” with his latest cancer update.

The New Zealand actor, 76, was the subject of ABC’s Australian Story on Monday night, where he said the anti-cancer drug he was taking, which has put him in remission, would eventually stop working.

Neill, who first revealed his stage-three blood cancer diagnosis in March in his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This?, added he wasn’t “remotely afraid” of dying.

The interview triggered an outpouring of concern for Neill, who took to Instagram on Tuesday claiming his comments were “taken out of context” and “conflated”.

“They [ABC] showed Australian Story last night, and I made a passing remark there that the treatment I’m on, which has me in remission, will inevitably fail one day,” Neill began in the video.

Sam Neill took to Instagram to assure fans he was OK.

He continued: “That’s what happens. It’s nothing to worry about. I’m in remission, I plan to be in remission for many years to come. I will bore you all to death with lots more work.

“At such a time it [the drug] does fail, we’ll try something else. There’s all sorts of things that are happening with cancer [treatment] these days. It’s a whole new ball game.”

Neill then began to choke up, as he assured his followers “it’s all good”.

“Please stop worrying … I’m getting a lot of messages on social media. I’m sorry to worry everybody,” he said, holding back tears.

“It’s all good. It’s all fine. It’s a beautiful day. I’m off to work.”

In the clip, Neill could be seen sitting on a porch in Perth where he’s currently filming Foxtel drama The Twelve.

Neill said he planned to be in remission for “a long time”.

The Jurassic Park blockbuster star has now been in remission for over a year thanks to the aforementioned miracle drug.

Neill was first diagnosed in early 2022 after noticing he had swollen glands while on a press tour for Jurassic World Dominion, which marked the return of his character Dr Alan Grant more than 30 years after his debut in the Steven Spielberg dinosaur classic.

He began chemotherapy just weeks after making the discovery.

Neill was diagnosed with blood cancer in early 2022. Picture: ABC

He’s still busy working, and is currently filming Foxtel’s The Twelve in Perth.

Neill told Australian Story when chemotherapy failed to work, he was proposed another option – a “very expensive” anti-cancer drug.

Speaking to The Guardian in February, Neill claimed while spending Christmas in New Zealand last year, he was the only person in the country on the rare medication.

He said, for the most part, he was doing well and relished keeping busy, but felt “sh*thouse” in the two days after taking the monthly pill.

Between shooting the second season of the legal drama, Neill is also in pre-production for the upcoming mini series, Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name.

Originally published as Sam Neill apologises to fans in emotional new video about cancer battle