It's time to rejoice: everyone's favorite on-screen paleontologist and velociraptor expert, Sam Neill, is officially cancer-free.
The Jurassic Park actor was diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago, and he admitted to believing that he was "on his way out" when his immune system stopped responding to chemotherapy.
Sam Neill first went public with his diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, which he'd been diagnosed with in 2022, during the promotional tour for Jurassic World: Dominion alongside Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
With the implementation of cellular immunotherapy, specifically CAR T-cell therapy, doctors were able to use Neill's own T-cells, engineer them to be cancer-free, and use them to reprogram the rest of his system.
The risky part was that the treatment was still in clinical trials, instead for myeloma, but Niell was willing to try and found the treatment to be successful. It's all very fitting for someone from the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World universe.
You can see more about the scientific research behind the treatment here:
In an interview with Variety, Neill reflected on the experience:
"I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years, and I was on chemotherapy and the pretty miserable business, but it was keeping me alive."
"I was at a loss, and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal, obviously."
"I’ve just had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing."
"I’m very, very excited that this can happen. It’s time I did another movie.”
Neill admitted, alluding to the life he's chronicled on what's become many people's favorite comfort TikTok channel:
"I’m not afraid to die, but it would annoy me."
"Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know?"
"We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses. 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.”
Neill's fans rejoiced that he was winning his battle.
Neill made a reputation for himself as the guy who could outsmart any situation and outrun any dangerous giant, and now he's beaten one of the most dire of diagnoses.
We wish him a long, happy life of watching his grandchildren grow up and sharing comforting content online, and undoubtedly, making more movies.
