Jeff Bridges has been dealing with a lot recently. Between battling cancer and a bout of COVID-19, the actor has been put through it. While speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Bridges offered an update on his health and shared that he’s doing better.
Bridges spoke to the outlet at the premiere of his new FX series, The Old Man. He first said that he was “feeling food,” but that his health battles over the past few years put him through the wringer. “Cancer-wise, yeah remission, and COVID, you know, that made my cancer look like nothing, that COVID,” Bridges continued. “I did my chemo for the cancer and that stripped me of all my immune system, so then I got COVID on top of that, and it wiped me out.”
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Bridges’ latest project was originally supposed to premiere on Hulu in 2021. However, due to the pandemic and Bridges undergoing chemotherapy, the show was delayed. The Oscar winner, who also executive produced The Old Man, reflected on the show’s journey by saying, “Oh man, that all seems like a bizarre dream, you know. We started The Old Man three years ago.” He added, “Had two years off, and then come back into it, and it’s like we had a long weekend and I, you know, had this bizarre dream.”
The 72-year-old star was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2020. Since his diagnosis, Bridges has offered several updates on his health battle. Earlier this year, he even voiced his appreciation for the team behind The Old Man for being so supportive of him while he battled cancer and COVID-19. “As far as I’m concerned, FX and all of the team were so considerate and gave me all of the time I needed to heal and all the support I needed,” he told reporters at a virtual panel for the show, per The Wrap. “The protocols – we were still in COVID – made me feel very safe and eager to get down to business and play.”
According to the actor, this journey influenced how he portrayed his character, Dan Chase, in The Old Man, as he plays a man with Alzheimer’s disease. Bridges stated, “In times like that, it seems like all your philosophies and spirituality comes to you. It tests you. All of that has been made more mature by that experience. I’ve always approached life the same way, [but this] made things sharper.”
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