Jeff Bridges was in fight or flight mode shortly after receiving a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020.
Bridges, 74, who plays a former CIA operative in “The Old Man,” was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer after a doctor’s check-up revealed he had a large tumor in his stomach.
Months ago, the acclaimed actor filmed intense fight scenes for season one of the FX series, where he was “beaten around and punched in the stomach.”
“Oh my God, looking back on them I was really surprised because I didn’t know it at the time, but I had a 9 by 12 inch tumor in my stomach—9 by 12 inches!—while I was being whipped around. Going over and getting punched in the stomach and stuff,” Bridges said. people magazine“not hurt. There was no pain. But then I got such a long gap [from filming],
While he underwent chemotherapy and also contracted COVID during the show’s hiatus, Bridges was left wondering if he was “even going to do a season 2” of the show.
“When I was sick, I thought not only would I never go back to ‘The Old Man,’ but I thought I would probably die. It has come to this,” he said. “I remember a doctor saying, ‘You’ve got to fight, Jeff. You’re not fighting.’
“And I had no idea what he was talking about. I was in surrender mode, just like, ‘Everyone dies.’ Maybe it’s just me doing this. And out of that surrender, as I say, all this intense love came out, and maybe that’s why I survived, I don’t know. But I was not concerned with fighting, but more with dedication.
In addition to treatments, “The Big Lebowski” star began intensive physical therapy and set small goals with his therapist to help him focus on the future. One goal: to be healthy enough to walk my daughter Hayley down the aisle at her wedding.
“I didn’t know how I could do that, but I said, ‘Okay, let’s train. Let’s keep that as our goal,'” he said. “So we worked on that. Well, not only did I walk her down the aisle, but I also got to dance the wedding dance with her. Then I’d run to my table and put on my oxygen!”
Bridges’ tumor shrank to the size of a marble in season two of “The Old Man” and his oncologist is proud of his progress.
“I don’t know the exact size,” Bridges said. “I get MRIs and such, but my oncologist says, ‘You look good, man.’ And I get all my blood tests done and everything is going really well.”
During her “fascinating” health journey, Bridges has learned some lessons.
“All your strategies for life, how you do things – it all adds up,” he said. “And love, that’s the word that comes to mind. To see how much I am loved by my family and my friends and the nurses and doctors who take care of me, and how much love is showered upon me.
“So it basically escalated the love.”
