Netflix Actor Barton Cowperthwaite Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnosis
The 'Tiny Pretty Things' actor said he will undergo surgery this week to remove the brain tumor.
Tiny Pretty Things star Barton Cowperthwaite has been diagnosed with brain cancer. The 31-year-old actor revealed in an Instagram post on Friday that he was diagnosed with "at least a stage 2 glioma," a common type of tumor originating in the brain, according to John Hopkins Medicine, a day prior. Cowperthwaite told fans that "it's a fairly decent sized brain tumor," adding that the cancer is "not spread from a cancer anywhere else in the body."
"The only course of treatment for something like this is brain surgery," Cowperthwaite, who shared a photo of himself in a hospital gown, continued. "Docs so far have been confident that they'll be able to remove most of the tumor, and that after a successful operation, and some rehab, I will be operating like my (amazing, talented, brilliant, hilarious) self. That being said it seems like scans and checkups will be apart [sic] of my life for its lengthy remainder."
Cowperthwaite said that "scans and check ups" will be "apart [sic] of my life for its lengthy remainder," adding that he and his family will take "several days to get second opinions." The actor and ballet dancer shared that he expects to undergo surgery to remove the tumor by the "middle or end of next week." He told his fans," I'll do my best to be open about the journey on here. I am planning on fully bouncing back to be better than my former glory! Please feel free to reach out and I'll do my best to stay connected with as many people as I can."
In a follow-up video posted on social media Saturday, Cowperthwaite thanked his followers for their support as he shared an update on his condition. Cowperthwaite said that the "lemon sized" brain tumor was discovered on a scan after he suffered "several seizures, the most recent of which landed me in the ER," over the past eight weeks. He said the tumor "is not of immediate concern," adding, "we're gathering the troops and strategizing. We're meeting with some of the best of the best on Monday, and I'll be able to decide where I want to get the surgery done next week."
Cowperthwaite is best known for his role as Oren Lennox in Netflix's ballet drama Tiny Pretty Things, which debuted in 2020 and is based on Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton's novel of the same name. He also appeared in episodes of Fosse/Verdon, Center Stage: On Pointe, and Girls5Eva, as well as the 2022 TV movie Imposters.