veteran actor Sam NeillHis former partner, Australian political journalist Laura Tingle, has opened up about his final days, revealing that despite being declared cancer-free earlier this year, the actor had been “very ill” in the weeks before his death.Neil died on Monday at the age of 78. In April, he announced he was cancer-free after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer.
Laura Tingle recalls Sam Neill’s final days
Speaking to Sydney Morning host Hamish Macdonald, Tingle, who dated Neil from 2018 to 2021 following his split from wife Noriko Watanabe, reflected on Neil’s long-standing health struggles.“He has been battling various cancers for at least the past five years. This can take a toll on anyone’s body,” she said.Explaining the impact of years of treatment on him, Tingle added, “He had a lot of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which luckily ended up clearing the blood cancer that he had, but it left his immune system pretty compromised and I think his poor body was a little tired, which makes sense.”She continued, “So, he’s been very ill the past few weeks, and everyone who loves him wants him to recover, both near and far. But, I think, another recovery is a little too much.”
“He loves his job”
Tingle also reflected on Neil’s passion for acting, recalling comments he made in a 2023 interview with Australian Story in which he admitted he wasn’t afraid of dying but would be “annoyed” because he still had so much to do.“I thought that was definitely where he was,” she said. “He loved working. He was defined in large part by working on movie sets. He often said, ‘I’m addicted to working.'” I think he is. “She added that acting became central to Neil’s identity after he unexpectedly found his career path.“By his own admission, when he got into show business, that feeling of always moving, always being someone else, was a big part of who he was,” Tingle said. “And he’s very good at it.”
Family remembers the actor
Following Neil’s death, his family released a heartfelt statement, revealing he died surrounded by loved ones.“Sam passed away surrounded by his family and with the dignity of his life,” the statement read.“This loss was sudden and unexpected, but thankfully Sam did not have cancer. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be released at a later date, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”Known for his performances in Jurassic Park, Merlin and numerous critically acclaimed film and television projects, Neill leaves behind four children, eight grandchildren, and a legacy celebrated by colleagues including Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Cillian Murphy and Steven Spielberg.
