In a recent interview, Jeff Bridges discussed his ongoing health issues and said that while his tumor has greatly lessened, the road to full recovery from COVID-19 has been difficult and drawn out.
The well-known actor opened up in an honest interview with AARP for their most recent cover story, discussing his struggles with cancer and the coronavirus and his uncertainty about returning to work in the thick of it all.
A marble-sized tumor that was once within Jeff’s stomach, a nine by 12-inch mass, has diminished as he prepares to resume shooting for The Old Man’s second season.
In October 2020, he publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. In September 2021, he gleefully declared that his disease had gone into remission.
He admitted to AARP, “I didn’t realize I had a 9-by-12-inch tumor in my body while I was filming those battle sequences for The Old Man’s debut episode.”
After learning that his tumor has shrunk significantly, the actor has a reason for hope.
His recovery from COVID-19, however, has been more difficult. Jeff’s already weakened immune system was put to the test severely when the illness occurred concurrently with his cancer treatment. He acknowledged that his recovery was still ongoing.
He was open about the gradual process of regaining his power, saying that “setting relatively tiny goals was a big part of getting well.
“Initially, they would ask, ‘How long can you stand?’” My previous best was 45 seconds before passing out. Then they began to say: “Oh, see, you’ve been standing still for a while! Can you walk five feet now, please?’”
Bridges had to confront his mortality while battling two illnesses at this trying time. In addition, he wondered if he would be able to go back to work if he lived.
He admitted, “I really didn’t think I’d ever work again.” “So I initially said, ‘Well, we’ll see.’ But with time, it changed to “Maybe I can.” I must admit that I was still anxious about returning to work.
Bridges’ turning point was a perspective change that mirrored his COVID rehabilitation strategy.
He said as he was drawing to a close, “I began to think of my recovery as a gift being presented.”
