Sam Neill reveals his pillar of strength during cancer battle
Anyone facing a major health battle will always cherish the support they receive from loved ones during tough times, and Sam Neill couldn't be more grateful for his support system.
In 2022, the Jurassic Park star was diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer and had to undergo treatment.
Fortunately, he is still in remission, and during a recent interview on the Big Talk Show podcast, he told host Jess Rowe that it was fellow actor and friend Bryan Brown who was a pillar of strength for him during his health battle.
"I would be completely lost without friends and old friends are even more precious because they have been through the tough times," Neill said.
“I had a spell in hospital and Bryan came in every day. Every day. I thought: ‘That’s a real friend’.
“He didn’t have anything to say, but he came in and kept me company.”
He added that despite the pair having very little in common, their friendship has lasted for more than 40 years.
"Bryan and I have been friends since 1980, I think it is," he said.
“I love him dearly, he’s a great family man [and] immensely loyal,” he added.
Sam found out he had stage-three blood cancer in 2022 during his first trip back to New Zealand following the Covid lockdowns, that made it almost impossible for him to see his family.
He had to undergo chemotherapy for three or four months, which he said was "brutal".
In another interview with Today, he also credited his work for keeping him busy and helping him survive his battle with cancer.
"I like working and when I was diagnosed, I didn't have any work to do, so I wrote a book and that saved my life because I was pretty down and I got up in the morning and I would write and write and write and that was good fun," he said at the time.
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