According to Sam Neill, the actor, he is currently undergoing treatment for stage three blood cancer.
In his memoir titled "Did I Ever Tell You This?", the star of Jurassic Park documented his diagnosis.
The first chapter of the book features Neill's writing:
He stated in an interview with The Guardian: "The thing is, I'm crook. Possibly dying. I may have to speed this up."
In an interview with the Guardian, he said: "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?'"
"I never had any intention to write a book. But as I went on and kept writing, I realised it was actually sort of giving me a reason to live and I would go to bed thinking, 'I'll write about that tomorrow… that will entertain me.'"
"And so it was a lifesaver really, because I couldn't have gone through that with nothing to do, you know."
During his promotional tour for "Jurassic World Dominion" last year, Neill began experiencing swollen glands, which led him to realize that something was amiss, as he informed The Guardian in an interview.
After a brief period, he received a diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and commenced chemotherapy.
Subsequently, as the initial treatment did not yield positive results, he was switched to a different chemotherapy medication, which he will be taking monthly for the remainder of his life.
The upcoming release of the 75-year-old actor's memoir is scheduled for next week. In his conversation with The Guardian, Neill stated that while the book is not primarily about his cancer, the ailment serves as a recurring theme throughout the memoir.
Fortunately, Neill is presently free of cancer, although he will have to continue taking the medication for the rest of his life.
The New Zealand actor confessed to experiencing some bleak periods since his diagnosis in his discussion with The Guardian. Nonetheless, he expressed contentment with being alive.
"I can't pretend that the last year hasn't had its dark moments," he said. "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."
In a recent interview with The Independent, Neill dismissed any notion that he might desire to withdraw from the public eye. As he stated: "The idea of giving up my day job? Intolerable!"
"I love acting. It's really good for me to keep walking onto new sets with young actors and all that stimulation. New words, new ideas, there's nothing like it. I never want to give that up."
It's great to hear that, Sam.
