Sam Neill has insisted he is not afraid of dying as he battles stage three blood cancer.
However, the Jurassic Park star told Australian Story he would be “upset” if he died soon as his latest round of chemotherapy didn’t work.
“I’m not afraid of dying at all. That doesn’t worry me. “It never worried me from the start, but I would be annoyed,” said the 76-year-old.
“I would get annoyed because there are things I still want to do.” Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.’
Sam has been in remission for 12 months thanks to a cancer drug, but admits he is “prepared” for it to stop working at some point.
Sam Neill (pictured) has insisted he is not afraid of dying as he battles stage three blood cancer
“I know I have it, but I don’t really care.” It’s out of my control. “If you can’t control it, don’t get involved in it,” he said of the disease.
Sam first revealed the news of his illness in his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This, in which he writes in the first chapter that he “may be dying.”
In an interview with The Guardian, the actor said: “The thing is, I’m a crook.” Maybe I need to speed this up. I had nothing to do.
“And I’m used to working. I love working. I love going to work. I love being around people every day and enjoying human company and friendship and all those things. And suddenly that was taken away from me. And I thought, “What should I do?”
However, the Jurassic Park star told Australian Story he would be “upset” if he died soon as his latest round of chemotherapy didn’t work
“I’m not afraid of dying at all. That doesn’t worry me. “It never worried me from the start, but I would be annoyed,” said the 76-year-old
Neill also told the BBC that he had suffered from a “wild type of aggressive” non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
He began writing his memoirs to distract himself and “give myself a reason to get through the day.”
The book looks back at the New Zealand actor’s 50-year on-screen career, as well as his sudden illness.
Neill revealed he sought medical treatment after discovering he had clotted glands on his neck during a promotional tour for the film “Jurassic World Dominion” last year.
The piano star remained calm when doctors told him of his diagnosis, and he immediately began planning to write a book about his life.
“I would get annoyed because there are things I still want to do.” Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it,” he added
Thanks to the cancer drug, Sam has been in remission for 12 months, but admits he is “prepared” for it to stop working at some point
“I thought I had to do something and thought, ‘Should I start writing?’ he told the BBC.
“I didn’t think I had a book in me, I just thought I would write a few stories.” And I found it more and more exciting.
“A year later, not only did I write the book – I didn’t have a ghostwriter – but it was published in record time,” he said proudly.
And about literary endeavors, he also said that he “never intended to write a book.”
Sam explained: “But as I kept writing and writing, I realized that it actually gave me a reason to live and I went to bed thinking, ‘I’ll write about this tomorrow… this will keep me entertained.’
“And it was really a lifesaver because I couldn’t have gone through that without having something to do, you know.”
Sam first revealed the news of his illness in his memoir Did I Ever Tell You This, in which he writes in the first chapter that he “may be dying.”
Sam’s specific disease was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
He is now in remission but will need to take medication for the rest of his life.
According to Lymphoma.org, AITL is “a rare, often but not always aggressive form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).”
Statistically, this particular type of blood cancer accounts for only one to two percent of all NHL cases in the United States.
The website also notes that older patients are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
Symptoms can include high fever, night sweats, rash, and autoimmune disorders.
Sam, Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards appeared in the original 1993 Jurassic Park
Reflecting on life, the veteran actor admitted, “I’m not afraid of dying.” But it would annoy me. Because I would really like to have another decade or two, you know?
“We built all these beautiful terraces, we have these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be there to see it all ripen.” And I have my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them grow up.
“But as for the dying? I do not care at all.’
The star was married to Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe from 1989 to 2017 and they have two children together – Elena, 32, and Tim, 40.
Sam’s most notable role is Dr. Alan Grant, whom he portrayed in the third part of the Jurassic World series last year.
Sam and co-star Laura Dern are pictured in a still from Jurassic Park: Dominion