Sam Neill Was ‘Feeling Great’ After Beating Cancer Before His Sudden Death at 78

Sam Neill‘s sudden death at 78 on Monday, July 13, stunned fans and loved ones alike, especially after he appeared to be thriving and making plans for the future after previously overcoming cancer.

“Sam had been feeling great and looked healthier than he had in months after his battle with cancer,” a source told the Daily Mail in an article published on Tuesday, July 14. “He was in a genuinely happy place, embracing life, staying busy with work, and reading scripts for future projects… Because of that, nobody saw this coming.”

The beloved Jurassic Park star had just attended the ARIA Hall of Fame ceremony in Sydney, Australia, last month, and the outing ultimately ended up being his final appearance.

The source added that Neill’s family “is absolutely devastated by the loss.”

Neill has previously been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in 2022. After years of chemotherapy, the Event Horizon actor’s prognosis appeared bleak until he began CAR T-cell therapy — an advanced treatment that used his own immune cells to target cancer — and in April, he was declared cancer-free.

“He felt as though he had been given a new lease on life and was determined to make the most of every opportunity, enjoying every moment that came his way,” the source told the publication.

Neill’s hematologist, Dr. Orly Lavee, also spoke with the Daily Mail and said that him “overcoming an aggressive lymphoma provided so much hope for people far and wide.”

“He was a true believer and advocate for the science and research that continues to improve outcomes for our patients,” Lavee continued. “It’s just one of his many legacies.”

Three years earlier, Neill opened up about his feelings on dying and said that while he wasn’t afraid of death, it would “annoy” him.

“Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know?” he said during an interview with The Guardian at the time. “We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.”