Sam Neill reveals blood cancer diagnosis in new memoir, says he is 'pleased to be alive'
OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND: In Sam Neill's upcoming memoir 'Did I Ever Tell You', he disclosed that he is currently being treated for stage-three blood cancer, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The book's first chapter shares his statement that he is "possibly dying." Neill said, "The thing is, I'm crook. Possibly dying."
"I may have to speed this up. I found myself with nothing to do.
'And I’m used to working. I love working. I love going to work. I love being with people every day and enjoying human company and friendship and all these things. And suddenly, I was deprived of that. And I thought, "What am I going to do?"' the 'Jurassic Park' star said, according to The Guardian. The actor said he will be undergoing chemotherapy treatment for the rest of his life.
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What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
The 'Peaky Blinders' actor revealed he has been diagnosed with "a ferocious type of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma," a disease known as Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), according to the National Organization for Rare Diseases. It is a "group of related malignancies (cancers) that affect the lymphatic system (lymphomas)” and the lymphomas “are cancer of white blood cells (lymphocytes) and can be divided depending on the type of cells, B-lymphocytes (B-cells) or T-lymphocytes (T-cells)."
Neill talks about his upcoming memoir
'The Piano' actor stated that he began penning his memoir as a means of distraction and also "to give me a reason to get through the day." His new book will take a flashback to Neill's on-screen career spanning 50 years and his revelation of the sudden illness.
During the publicity tour for the film 'Jurassic World Dominion' in 2022, the actor noticed lumpy glands and sought medical treatment. The 'Zoo Keeper' actor said that when the doctors revealed what he has been diagnosed with, he stayed calm and immediately decided to write a memoir.
"I thought I need to do something and I thought, 'Shall I start writing? I didn't think I had a book in me, I just thought I'd write some stories and I found it increasingly engrossing. A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghostwriter - but it's come out in record time," he told BBC. His memoir is set to be published on March 21.
Talking about his illness, Neill said, “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," and added that he is "just pleased to be alive"