Sam Neill Reveals Blood Cancer Remission Is Likely Temporary

Sam Neill, the Jurassic Park star and the grown-up Damian in the Omen franchise, has revealed that the treatment that sent him into a year-long remission from the rare blood cancer angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma will eventually stop working.

“I’m prepared for that,” Neill told the Australian Story tv program, adding that he is not “remotely afraid” but finds the whole matter “annoying.”

Neill also said that despite his health challenges, which include treatments that feel like going “10 rounds with a boxer,” retirement, the actor says, is “completely out of the question.”

The 76-year-old actor revealed in May 2022 that he had been diagnosed with the blood cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, a treatment that did not work for Neil. After switching to another type of treatment, Neill’s cancer has been in remission for about a year, but the actor says the remission is not permanent.

Neill said he is working on a new memoir to be titled Did I Ever Tell You This? Working on the book has given the actor a fresh perspective on his long career.

“I can‘t tell you how privileged I am to spend that amount of time with so many actors,” Neill told Australian Story, “so many of whom I’ve really enjoyed and so many of whom I’ve really admired.”