Sam Neill has opened up about his challenging chemotherapy treatments and revealed that he turned down an iconic Australian film role. The legendary actor expressed his gratitude for ongoing chemotherapy for blood cancer.
In an Australian television interview, he discussed why he changed his mind about his knighthood and the role he turned down in a classic Aussie film.
Neill was diagnosed with cancer in early 2022 and, although he is in remission, requires ongoing treatment.
Neill revealed that the treatment is “brutal,” but he is grateful for it. He lost his beard and dignity and is grateful for the treatment.
He admitted being slightly embarrassed about becoming Sir Sam Neill after receiving a knighthood but said he didn’t want the title for 10 or 12 years. The interview also touched on lighter topics, including his acting career.
Neill mentioned that a couple of years ago when he thought he was dying. He decided to go out with the title but changed his mind.
He finds retirement “far scarier” than dying, joking that “many people are forced to play golf… I cannot think of anything less appealing.”
Another student, Abbey, asked Neill about the best lesson his parents taught him: to pull oneself together.
Neill described how he spent most of his time focusing on acting instead of his studies in his first year at university.
When he realized he had done almost no work, he felt anxious and asked his mother about her thoughts.
She was shocked that her question had affected the actor the way it did. He must have been thinking about his parents and how much they meant to him.
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