The Big Lebowski’s Jeff Bridges Reveals He’s Been Diagnosed With Cancer

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski

At 70 years old, Jeff Bridges has been a cherished part of Hollywood for decades, having appeared in popular movies like Tron, Starman, The Fisher King, The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart and True Grit, to name just a few. Sadly, the latest update concerning Bridges involves a downturn in his health, as the actor has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Jeff Bridges announced this news on his Twitter page this evening, saying the following:

See more

Jeff Bridges added in a follow-up post that he’s “profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends,” and that he’s grateful for all prayers and well wishes coming his way. Oh, and he also reminded us to go out and vote, which is awfully patriotic of him.

It’s unfortunate that Jeff Bridges is having to deal with cancer, but for now, the actor sounds like he’s in good spirits and is confident that he’ll turn the corner on this. Sadly, he’s not the only celebrity who’s been having to contend with cancer lately. Along with Jeopardy host Alex Trebek still going through chemotherapy, You actor Nicholas Tucci and Evil Dead actor Danny Hicks both passed away from cancer in March and July, respectively. Chadwick Boseman battled colon cancer for years, but passed away this summer to the shock of fans worldwide.

After starring in three movies in 2017 – The Only Living Boy In New York, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and Only The Brave – Jeff Bridges has been away from the silver screen for nearly two years now, last playing the role of Father Daniel Flynn in the 2018 noir thriller Bad Times At The El Royale. But hopefully we'll get to see his friendly face back on our screens soon. In July 2019 it was announced that Jeff Bridges is going to star in his first television project since the mid-1990s, specifically in the FX On Hulu adaptation of the Thomas Perry novel The Old Man. The series will feature Bridges as a former intelligence agent named David Chase who is brought back into the world of espionage when he is targeted for assassination. John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, and Alia Shawkat, and Gbenga Akinnagbe will co-star, and Spider-Man: Homecoming/Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts is helming the pilot.

FX, Touchstone Television, Hulu and FXP have released a statement about Jeff Bridges diagnosis, saying,

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.

The Old Man will be released on FX on Hulu in 2021.

Being devoted fans of Jeff Bridges work and generally appreciative of the general goodness that he represents in his existence, we here at CinemaBlend wish him the best of luck in his recovery, and will keep you apprised of details as they become available.

Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.