Jeff Bridges delivers a promising health update after going into remission in his fight against lymphoma. Two years after announcing his initial diagnosis, The Big Lebowski star, 72, says he feels “terrific.” During a virtual panel Tuesday for his new FX series The Old Man, Bridges thanked the cast, crew and producers for their support during his cancer battle.
“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, The Wrap reports. “The protocols – we were still in COVID – made me feel very safe and eager to get down to business and play.”
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The Old Man has been in the works for quite a while. Production on the series paused twice – once in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and again while Bridges underwent cancer treatment. “I went through a year-and-a-half of this bizarre dream and then came back,” Bridges said, Deadline reports. “It was great to be back with the gang.”
Bridges’ cancer diagnosis influenced his role on the show as Dan Chase, a character who has Alzheimer’s disease. “In times like that, it seems like all your philosophies and spirituality comes to you. It tests you,” he said. “All of that has been made more mature by that experience. I’ve always approached life the same way, [but this] made things sharper.”
About a year after announcing his initial diagnosis, Bridges announced in September 2021 that he was in remission. “The 9″ x 12″ mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble,” he wrote in an update on his website at the time. He even said that he came close to death during his cancer battle, but it made him appreciate life even more.
“While I had moments of tremendous pain (screaming singing, a sort of moaning song all through the night) getting close to the Pearly Gates, all in all, I felt happy and joyous most of the time,” he said. “This brush with mortality has brought me a real gift – LIFE IS BRIEF AND BEAUTIFUL. LOVE IS ALL AROUND US, AND AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES.”
The Old Man is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry. It focuses on Dan Chase (Bridges), who left the CIA decades ago and now lives off the grid. But an assassin (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is hot on his trail so Dan must reconcile his past. The series also stars Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Alia Shawkat, Bill Heck, Seem Lubany and EJ Bonilla. The Old Man is scheduled to premiere on FX on June 16.
