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Hollywood star Sam Neill shares cancer battle update

Hollywood actor Sam Neill has shared the latest update on his battle with cancer, one which he confessed he’ll eventually lose.

Behind the scenes on Sam Neill's exclusive cover shoot with Stellar

Sam Neill has shared an update on his heartbreaking cancer battle, one which he’s previously revealed he will eventually lose.

The 76-year-old first revealed last year that he was battling rare blood cancer, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

Sam Neill. Pic Chris Pavlich
Sam Neill. Pic Chris Pavlich

After chemotherapy failed to work on him his doctor switched him to an anti-cancer drug which has put him in remission for more than 12 months. Neill has to take infusions every two weeks for the rest of his life, however, the drug will stop working eventually.

Despite the tragic outlook, Neill has remained optimistic in his latest update with fans.

He told The Herald Sun that the treatment was having a big impact on his ability to live his life.

“It’s just meant that every second week it was a case of forget about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,” he explained of his treatment schedule. “But other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places, like York.”

Last year, Sam insisted while he wasn’t afraid of death after battling the disease, he “would be annoyed” because he still has plenty he wants to achieve.

Neill previously insisted that he’s not scared of dying. Picture: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images.
Neill previously insisted that he’s not scared of dying. Picture: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images.

“I’m prepared for that,” Neill said at the time, adding that while dying would be “annoying” he’s not “remotely afraid” of it.

The seasoned actor previously told BBC that he hopes his cancer diagnosis doesn’t outshine his memoir.

“The last thing I want is for people to obsess about the cancer thing because I’m not really interested in cancer. I’m not really interested in anything other than living.”

Neill has always been fairly private about his personal life but he was most recently linked to Australian political journalist Laura Tingle. He has two children from previous relationships.

Neill, who was born in the UK, raised in New Zealand and beloved by fans in Australia, is most famous for his role in Jurassic Park and he has graced Australian cinema and television for more than fifty years.

In the 1980s, Neill almost became a part of another iconic franchise when he was rumoured to be one of the frontrunners in line to succeed Roger Moore in the role of James Bond. However, ultimately the role went to Timothy Dalton.

Originally published as Hollywood star Sam Neill shares cancer battle update

Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/hollywood-star-sam-neill-shares-cancer-battle-update-grim/news-story/6faf1764e5ea2efffac9b7eb0f7ce4a6