Jeff Bridges recently opened up about his ongoing health struggles, revealing that while his tumor has significantly diminished, his journey to full recovery from COVID-19 has proven to be a complex and lengthy process.
In a candid interview with AARP for their latest cover story, the renowned star shared insights into his battle with cancer, his fight against the coronavirus, and his deliberation about returning to work amidst it all.
Ahead of resuming filming for the second season of The Old Man, Jeff spoke with optimism about his health, announcing that the 9-by-12-inch tumor that was once in his stomach has shrunk to the size of a marble.
His cancer diagnosis was publicly revealed in October 2020, and by September 2021, he joyfully announced his cancer was in remission.
“I was doing those fight scenes for the first episode of The Old Man and didn’t know that I had a 9-by-12-inch tumor in my body,” he shared with AARP.
The revelation about the significant shrinkage of his tumor is indeed a beacon of hope for the actor.
However, his recovery from COVID-19 has been a more challenging experience. The disease struck simultaneously with his cancer treatment, severely testing Jeff’s already compromised immune system. He confessed that his recovery process is still in progress.
He spoke candidly about the incremental process of regaining his strength, recalling, “A lot of getting better was a matter of setting really small goals.
“At first, they’d say, ‘How long can you stand?’ For a while, my record was 45 seconds before I’d collapse. And then they were saying: ‘Oh, look, you’re standing for a minute! That’s so cool, now can you walk 5 feet?’”
During the tumultuous period of grappling with two illnesses, Bridges also had to face his mortality. Moreover, he contemplated whether, if he survived, he’d be able to return to work again.
“I didn’t think I’d ever work again, really,” he confessed. “So at first I said, ‘Well, we’ll see.’ But eventually that became, ‘Maybe I can.’ I have to admit that I was still frightened of going back to work.”
The turning point for Bridges was a shift in perspective, mirroring his approach towards his COVID recovery.
He concluded by sharing: “I began to think of my recovery as a gift being presented.”
