Sam Neill in high spirits during rare public appearance amid cancer treatment

Sam Neill appeared in happy spirits as he made a rare appearance at a very public event following his cancer diagnosis.

The New Zealand actor revealed in March 2023 that he had been undergoing chemotherapy for a year after being diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

It came after he noticed his glands were swelling while promoting Jurassic World Dominion, which urged him to get checked out.

Neill’s cancer is now in remission, but he must have chemotherapy treatment every month for the rest of his life.

The 77-year-old star took 12 months out of the spotlight as he first navigated his cancer, meaning his appearance at the 2025 Aacta Awards this weekend was all the more special.

Held at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast, the ceremony handed out trophies to the likes of Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and Boy Swallows Universe, the latter of which won 12 of its record-breaking 22 nominations.

Walking the red carpet ahead of the glitzy bash, Neill wore a bright smile as he posed for cameras.

The performer, who has earned the title of an ‘international leading man’ thanks to his versatility across genres, was there to present an award.

Looking extremely dapper, Neill arrived wearing a black tuxedo complete with a bow tie.

Equally smart was his co-presenter, Australian star Bryan Brown, who has over 80 film and TV credits to his name.

Neill proceeded to mingle with industry peers throughout the night, his mood high despite the private battles he’s endured for almost two years.

He has spoken about his cancer on several occasions, including last September when he expressed his gratitude for the advances made in medicine, meaning he could receive treatment.

Updating fans to confirm he was in remission, Neill said frankly that ‘if this had happened to [him] 20 years ago, [he] wouldn’t be around’.

The Hollywood veteran, best known for playing palaeontologist Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, added to Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast that he was back to ‘hard work’ after his break.

Clearly optimistic, he added that he was ‘enjoying life immensely’.

‘I’m in remission, and as you see, I’m hard at work and enjoying life immensely. I’m very grateful for not just the wonderful care I’ve had from doctors and nurses and so on, but also the strides that have been made in treating these things in the last few years,’ he shared.

‘If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you. I go in (for treatment) once a month now. But it used to be three times a month, and it’s down to once a month now.

‘You have sort of three or four horrible days afterwards, and then all is well, and you cheer up, and I go to the gym and all that.’

The Golden Globe nominee previously admitted to The Herald Sun that his experiences with chemo were ‘a bit grim’ due to the toll it took.

‘But other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places,’ he added.

Last October, Apples Never Fall star Neill even begged fans not to worry about him, insisting that a new drug was keeping his cancer in remission.

However, this drug will eventually stop working, doctors have told him.

He told ABC’s Australian Story: ‘I’m not in any way frightened of dying. That doesn’t worry me. It’s never worried me from the beginning, but I would be annoyed.

‘I’d be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.’

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