Famous actor Sam Neill said Sunday that he is “not remotely afraid” of death after his doctors said his anti-cancer drugs will stop working at some point.
Neill told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he is prepared for the day when the drugs stop working, but that it’s retirement that truly “fills me with horror.” Neill went public with his stage three non-Hodgkin blood cancer diagnosis in a March interview where he mused about the value and his love of work.
He found out about his cancer after promoting “Jurassic World Dominion” in early 2022 when he went to the doctor over swollen glands. (RELATED: Sam Neill Says Cast ‘Came Very Close’ To Death On Set Of ‘Jurassic Park’)
“It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it.” Actor Sam Neill opens up about why he’s “not really interested” in his cancer and why the thought of retirement is “horrifying”. @TwoPaddocks https://t.co/rZ77Lgudz3
— ABC News (@abcnews) October 15, 2023
Neill has been in remission for 12 months but is being treated with transfusions every two weeks, according to ABC. He had previously been on a different set of cancer medication, but that treatment stopped working after three months and his doctors switched him over to his present treatment regimen using a rare cancer drug.
The experience motivated Neill to write a memoir about his life. “I started to think I better write some of this down because I’m not sure how long I have to live. I was running against the clock,” Neil told Australian Story.
In his memoir, he describes his reflections over other entertainment icons like comedian and actor Robin Williams. “[W]hen everybody was in stitches [laughing at Robin’s jokes], you could see Robin was happy,” he said.