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Sam Neill recently revealed he was diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer, but luckily he has been in remission for eight months.
He kept the illness a secret for a long time, and cast members on his newest film The Portable Door had no idea he was battling the debilitating disease.
The Jurassic Park actor, 75, shared the shocking news in his new memoir Did I Ever Tell You This, which was published last week.
In the new Stan Original film, he stars alongside Oscar award-winning Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson and Sophie Wilde.
Patrick, who plays the main character of the film Paul Carpenter, said he had no idea that Sam, who he looked up to as an actor from a young age, was diagnosed with stage-three cancer.
Sam Neill recently revealed he was diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer, but luckily he has been in remission for eight months
However, he kept the illness a secret for a long time, and cast members on his newest film The Portable Door had no idea
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at The Portable Door premier in Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter on Thursday, the Irish actor added that he didn’t know about Sam’s diagnosis or his remission as he hasn’t seen him since filming wrapped.
But, he said hopes to catch up with him and wish him well after the premiere.
The 27-year-old said acting alongside a legend such as Sam was ‘mad’ and that he was a pleasure to work with.
‘It was mad, I was really nervous to come to set acting opposite these guys [Sam Neill and Christoph Waltz] who I’ve watched since I was a kid,’ he said.
‘But it couldn’t have been a lovelier experience, they are some of the best people, they are so sweet and so supportive.’
Patrick, who plays the main character of the film Paul Carpenter, said he had no idea that Sam, who he looked up to as an actor from a young age, was diagnosed with stage-three cancer
Sophie Wilde, who plays an intern of the same name in the fantasy film, said it was also a shock to hear that Sam recently battled blood cancer.
She added: ‘Sam is such a beautiful beautiful person and soul and what is amazing about him is he really took me under his wing and he is such a generous scene partner, big, big love.’
The 25-year-old Sydney native also spoke fondly of James Bond’s Christoph Waltz, who plays Humphrey Wells in the movie, and wasn’t intimated by his stardom.
‘First time I met Christoph I went and I hugged him, he is such a lovely, lovely, guy,’ she said.
Alongside Sam Neill, the star-studded event in Sydney included appearances from actress Miranda Otto, who plays Countess Judy in the flick, and actors Arka Das and Damon Herriman.
Other celebrities and influencers who weren’t in the movie also took the opportunity to walk the blue carpet, including Roxy Jacenko, who brought her children Pixie and Hunter.
Sophie Wilde, who plays an intern of the same name in the fantasy film, said it was also a shock to hear that Sam recently battled blood cancer
The Portable Door follows the story of Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson0 and Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde) who work as interns at a mysterious firm in London, but they soon become aware that their colleagues are anything but conventional.
After finding a portable door that allows them to travel through time and space, they find out that their bosses Humphrey Wells (Chrisoph Waltz) and Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill) are trying to disrupt the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices.
The Portable Door will begin streaming on Stan on April 7
Damon Herriman, Arka Das, Sophie Wilde, Miranda Otto, Jeffrey Walker, Patrick Gibson and Sam Neill attend the world premiere of “The Portable Door” at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on March 23 in Sydney
