“My cancer is in remission—the 9 x 12-inch tumor has shrunk to a 2 x 2 thing,” the 71-year-old Bridges wrote. Bridges had first made his diagnosis public back in October 2020 in a tweet that began by referencing his iconic The Big Lebowski character. “As the Dude would say… New S**T has come to light,” the actor, musician and sculptor tweeted. “I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.” His remission announcement was coupled with some equally heartening news: He was recently able to walk his youngest daughter, Hayley Roselouise Bridges, down the aisle at her wedding, where they even shared a joyful father-daughter dance. “I had a goal—walking my daughter Hayley down the aisle,” Bridges wrote about what kept him motivated during his treatment and recovery. “Thanks to Zach [Wermers, physical therapist] and my terrific medical team, I was able to not only walk Hay down the aisle, but do the father/bride dance with her without oxygen.” (On his personal website, visitors can scroll down to a hand-drawn image of the two dancing together and click it to see actual video from their special moment.) And believe it or not, Bridges also revealed that he managed to make such massive strides toward remission and recovery all while battling COVID-19 at the start of 2021 as well! “Here’s the deal—on January 7th, I get a letter from the place where I’m getting my chemo infusion for the cancer. The letter tells me I may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus at their joint,” he explained. “Soon after, my wife Sue and I share an ambulance to the ICU. We both got the ‘rona. She spends five days in the hospital. Me? I’m there five weeks. The reason I’m there so long is because my immune system is shot from the chemo.” While Bridges added that “my dance with COVID makes my cancer look like a piece of cake, he also made a surprising confession. “I felt happy and joyous most of the time. This brush with mortality has brought me a real gift,” he wrote. “Life is brief and beautiful. Love is all around us and available at all times. It’s a matter of opening ourselves to receive the gift.” Bridges launched his acting career at a very young age, following in the footsteps of his father, the great Lloyd Bridges. As a child he appeared on father’s TV show Sea Hunt. At 19, he toured with his father in a stage production of the show Anniversary Waltz. He picked up his first Academy Award nomination in 1971 for the film The Last Picture Show. He been since nominated six more times and won an Oscar for his role as Bad Blake in the film Crazy Heart. A prolific actor, Bridges has appeared on more than 90 TV and film projects. He is currently in production on FX’s The Old Man, which he stars in and executive produces. The drama series is scheduled to debut exclusively on FX on Hulu in 2021. “Our thoughts go out to Jeff and his family during this challenging time and they have our love and support. We wish him a safe and full recovery. And, as Jeff always says, ‘We are all in this together.’ Jeff, we are all in this together with you,” said a joint statement from FX, Touchstone Television, Hulu and FXP.
What kind of cancer does Jeff Bridges have?
Lymphoma.
When did Jeff Bridges announce he had cancer?
He announced his diagnosis on Oct. 19, 2020. Next, watch the best parts of The Big Lebowski.
