Why Sam Neill’s health battle made him rethink a prestigious title

When confronted with a serious health challenge, many people often experience a shift in their priorities. This was certainly true for beloved actor Sam Neill, whose recent battle with cancer led him to reconsider a prestigious honour.

Neill has been battling blood cancer, and while he is fortunately now in remission, he revealed during an appearance on the upcoming ABC series The Assembly that his health struggle led him to reconsider accepting a knighthood, an honour he initially declined in 2009.

“When I thought I was dying a couple of years ago I said, ‘Bugger it, I’m dying, I might as well go out with the title’, so I changed my mind,” he revealed.

Elsewhere in the program, Neill reflected on the “brutal” nature of his chemotherapy when he was first diagnosed, revealing that he is now undergoing a less intense regimen.

“I’m on a different one now, so at least I don’t look like somebody’s bald thumb,” he said.

“That’s what I looked like for quite a while — it was embarrassing, and I lost my beard and everything, and my dignity went with it.”

Neill also shared that he is “extremely grateful” for his new treatment plan “as it’s kept me alive, and living is much better than the other thing”.

While Neill’s latest treatment is helping the renowned actor navigate his health battle, he recently opened up about how fellow actor and friend Bryan Brown was there to help him following his diagnosis.

“I would be completely lost without friends and old friends are even more precious because they have been through the tough times,” Neill said during an interview on the Big Talk Show podcast.

“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.”

 

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While the two “have been friends since 1980”, Neill humorously admitted that “it’s an unlikely friendship” given that they “have nothing in common”.

“I love him dearly, he’s a great family man [and] immensely loyal,” he added.

While Brown’s support during such a difficult time was invaluable, Neill has also previously credited his work with saving his life.

Neill previously revealed to TODAY that his numerous projects had been crucial in helping him survive his battle with blood cancer, sharing that he is “feeling absolutely great”.

Neill shared his optimistic outlook on his health battle, emphasising his resilience and positive approach.

“The thing about cancers, there’s so many different of them, you know and great advances are being made, so there’s always hope and I’m living with it rather than dying from it, that’s the way I look at it,” he said.

“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.”