Actor Sam Neill dies of pneumonia at 79 after cancer battle

Hollywood icon Sam Neill died in a Sydney hospital on Monday at age 79. His long-time agent, Philip Grenz, confirmed the cause of death was pneumonia, according to the BBC.

Grenz emphasized that Neill was in remission from angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer, which he had been diagnosed with several years ago. The actor had bravely battled and overcome the disease with innovative CAR-T therapy, announcing in April that no cancer cells remained in his body. However, the aggressive treatment had taken a toll.

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His body was simply exhausted.

His former partner, journalist Laura Tingle, revealed that the numerous chemotherapy and immunotherapy sessions had severely weakened his immune system. "His body was simply exhausted," she stated, adding that he had been seriously ill in recent weeks. Neill maintained a passion for life and work until the end, filming four projects in the past year. In his memoir, "Did I Ever Tell You This?", he wrote, "I'm not afraid of death. What I don't want is to stop living, because I really enjoy life."

Respecting his wish for privacy, the family will organize a private memorial service on his farm in New Zealand. Colleagues, including Laura Dern and Steven Spielberg, have paid tribute to the beloved actor, remembering him as a wonderful friend and exceptional professional.

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I'm not afraid of death. What I don't want is to stop living, because I really enjoy life.