Veteran actor Sam NeillAustralian political journalist Laura Tingle’s former partner has opened up about his final days, revealing the actor had been “quite ill” in the weeks leading up to his death despite being declared cancer-free earlier this year.Neill died Monday at age 78. He announced in April that he was cancer-free after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer.
Laura Tingle remembers Sam Neill’s final days
Speaking on Sydney Mornings with host Hamish Macdonald, Tingle, who dated Neill from 2018 to 2021 following his split from wife Noriko Watanabe, reflected on the actor’s long battle with health.“He has been fighting various forms of cancer for at least the last five years intensively. And that has an effect on anybody’s body,” he said.Explaining how the years of treatment affected him, Tingle added, “He had a lot of chemo and a lot of immunotherapy and, thankfully, he finally got rid of the blood cancer that he had, but he became compromised in terms of his immune system and I think his poor body was a little tired, as is reasonable.He continued, “So, he’s been a bit sick for the past few weeks and everyone who loves him wants him, from near and far.
“He likes to work”
Tingle also reflected on Neill’s passion for acting, recalling comments he made in a 2023 interview with Australian Story, where he admitted he wasn’t afraid to die but was “angry” because he still had a lot to do.“I think that’s definitely where he’s at,” he said. “He loved to work. He was described by many as being on a movie set. He always said, ‘I’m addicted to work.’ And I think he is.”He added that acting became central to Neill’s identity after he unexpectedly entered the profession.“When he, by his own admission, got into acting, that kind of feeling of always being on the move, always being someone else, was just a big part of who he was,” Tingle said. “And he’s very good at it.”
The actor’s family remembers
Following his death, Neill’s family shared a heartfelt statement, revealing that he died surrounded by loved ones.“Sam was surrounded by family and passed on with the dignity that characterized his entire life,” the statement read.“The loss is sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remains cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their exceptional care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”Best known for his performances in Jurassic Park, Merlin and many acclaimed film and television projects, Neill is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and a legacy celebrated by colleagues including Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Cillian Murphy and Steven Spielberg.