Jeff Bridges’ new TV show was still in production when the veteran actor was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Was given the news in 2020 as filming was suspended due to the pandemic, which led to what he describes it as a two-year “health adventure”.
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Bridges says, “I had cancer and chemo and then COVID on top of that. And chemo deprived me of my immune system, so I got COVID pretty bad.
“I’ve been sick for about two years and [it was] very dreamlike, you know. “
Image: Prashant Gupta / FX / Disney +
The beloved star, known for roles including The Big Lebowski, True Grit, Crazy Heart and the Tron films, says that despite months in the hospital, he tried to see the best in the situation.
“Not all bad – [there were] wonderful parts of being sick that were a little unexpected, you know, feeling all that love coming to me from my family, my friends and other people around the world, “she says.
“That was it [an] unexpected, wonderful feeling, and then also the love that that kind of emotion aroused for me.
“I said, ‘Oh yeah, this is life, this is wonderful,’ and everything got a little hyper-precious during that time.”
In January 2021, Bridges shared an uplifting update on her cancertelling fans that his tumor had “shrunk dramatically”.
Bridges has posted updates on his treatment on his website. Photo: jeffbridges.com
Once he recovered, returning to work made his time in the hospital like a fevered dream, he says.
“We broke up for the pandemic and we were out for a few months and that’s where my health adventure began.
“And then two years later, I went back to work and it was the weirdest feeling: it was like we had a long weekend and I couldn’t wait to tell my friends about this dream I had: I was sick, I was in the hospital, you know, it all seemed very dreamlike.
“But I’m back on my feet and excited to be here.”
The 72-year-old Oscar-winning actor says he now feels great and happy to promote his show – the first time he’s had a recurring role on TV since he was a child.
“My dad, Lloyd Bridges, had done many TV series and I could tell from his experience how hard work it was and how worried he was about it, it was difficult because you felt you didn’t have enough time to really give it his best shot – the story. , your performance and so on – and I was a little worried about that, “he says. “I think that’s what kept me from pursuing television.
“But now, my God, the amazing things that come out of television and content, there are so many and it’s of such high quality, I thought to myself, you better experience this.”
Bridges says that after meeting The Old Man creator John Steinberg and others behind the series, he was assured that the best program creators would be hired to work on it.
In the end, he says, “it was no different than making a movie.”
Click to join Backstage wherever you find your podcasts
Packed with action scenes – Bridges says he has never done so many – the series tells the story of a former CIA agent on the run.
And while the show is called The Old Man, the main character doesn’t conform to seniors’ stereotypes, even though the stas admits it has its moments.
“One of the things that makes me feel old is that I’m not up to date with all TikTok-ing and streaming, Facebook and phones,” he says.
“You know, I don’t do any of that, so I got a little behind on that stuff. And it sure is moving fast, I tell you.”
The Old Man will be released on Disney Plus on September 28th
