Sam Neill revealed that he is being treated for stage three cancer. The actor recently published a memoir in which he explains that this condition was the seed that inspired him to write. Although he is free of the disease for now, he will still have to take a lifelong treatment for blood.
The cancer that first began to manifest itself during the promotion of Jurassic World: Dominion, It is commonly known as blood cancer. The wording of Guardianwho had the opportunity to speak with him, explains that the real name of the disease is called “angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.”
“Those dark moments put the light in stark relief, you know, and have made me feel grateful for each day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just glad to be alive,” Neill said.
Neill explained that it was during March of last year that he began to experience the first symptoms. Around that period, the actor was on a world tour promoting his long-awaited return to the Jurassic saga.
Had he remained in a static mode, without any real occupation, the actor would probably have fallen into some dark place. This was stated by himself, while he explained that the book was his own rescue. A kind of unexpected motivation that invited him to get up every day with a goal.
“I never intended to write a book. But as I went on and on writing, I realized that he was actually giving me a reason to live, and I would go to bed thinking, ‘I’ll write about it tomorrow. That will entertain me.’ And it really was a lifesaver, because I couldn’t have gone through that with nothing to do, you know.”
In his book titled Did I Ever Tell You This?, Sam Neill not only tells his story with the unexpected cancer. It is also a “collection of the actor’s stories, a story of family and friendship, of love and pleasure.” It’s an unusual memoir with a sarcastic and unapologetic narrator.
“I’m not afraid of dying, but it would bother me,” Neill said in the interview with Guardian. “Because I would really like another decade or two, you know? We have built all these beautiful terraces, we have these olive trees and cypress trees, and I want to be there to see them mature. And I have my adorable little grandchildren. I want to see them grow. But as for dying? I couldn’t care less.”
Did I Ever Tell You This? It will go on sale on March 21. You can purchase it through Amazon.
Luis Angel H. Mora My most stable relationship is with the movies, parties and music. I love writing about cinema, meeting new people and sharing ideas. Idealistic in every way, I guess that’s my Ascendant Aquarian trait.
