"Pretty miserable business but it was keeping me alive."He said he was "very, very excited" to be cancer-free, adding, "it's time I did another movie".Responding to the news of Neill's death, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill had starred in "so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts"."Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance," he said."He will be much mourned and long remembered Guided and helped me through a very difficult time in my life"."Sail on, kind Sir," he said in a social media post.Speaking to ABC's Australian Story about his cancer in 2023, Neill said he was "not remotely afraid" of death, but it would be "annoying" because he has more to do