Sam Neill has told Sky News he is “absolutely fine” following the revelation he had been treated for blood cancer.
The Jurassic Park star said he had been suffering from stage three blood cancer, while promoting his new book – which he wrote while he was undergoing chemotherapy.
Speaking to Sky News in a UK exclusive interview, he said: “The cancer thing came out as a corollary to the release of the book, which is a memoir that I wrote when I was under chemo.
“I’m doing absolutely fine now.
“What was slightly annoying was that the story was sort of ‘cancer, cancer, cancer, cancer’, and really the other half of the story is ‘remission, remission and remission – and I’m absolutely fine.”
Sat next to his Portable Door co-star Patrick Gibson, the 75-year-old added: “Patrick and I have just gone three rounds boxing and on a points basis – I think I’m well ahead of you.”
Gibson replied: “It’s not looking good for me.”
Talking about his latest film The Portable Door, Neill said it was the sort of escapism we need at the moment.
“This does seem like a slightly depressing moment in time,” he explained, adding: “But things will pick up.”
“You have a lot to be said for escapism – there is a long tradition of escapism in British literature, is there not? And this is one of those.”
Sam Neill and Patrick Gibson. Pic: Sky
Based on a book of the same name, it sees Gibson’s character begin working at a London firm that is trying to change the world of magic, and discovers a door that can be used anywhere to travel through time and space.
Gibson told Sky News: “I read an early draft of the script , and Tom [Holt]’s book, which is just completely mental, and it was so much fun, and it just exists in this amazing world where anything can happen… and I was pretty much immediately like, ‘I want to be a part of this no matter what’.
Neill added: “It’s the thing about magic realism… as opposed to kitchen sink realism is that you play larger than life characters.
“My character is not just larger than life, he’s… bigger than the room – bigger than, bigger than the room… It fills the whole stage.”
And if they had a door capable of travelling through time and space, where is it they would travel to?
“I want to go to Sam’s farm, only because it’s the only way I’m getting there,” Gibson said.
“He’s not invited me out, so I need the bloody portable door to get to you”.
The Portable Door is out on Sky Cinema from 7 April.