Aquaman actor Dolph Lundgren has been secretly battling cancer for 8 years
Aquaman star Dolph Lundgren has revealed he has had an eight-year battle with cancer.
The actor — who played King Nereus in the Worlds of DC film and has also starred in the Rocky and Creed franchises — recorded a video for In Depth with Graham Bensinger following surgery in 2020 and then sat down with Bensinger for a face-to-face interview.
Dolph Lundgren revealed that he first had a tumour removed in 2015, with subsequent tests confirming that he had cancer. After initial treatment was successful, the cancer returned in 2020. That year, Lundgren had several tumours removed from his kidney area.
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After being told he had “two to three years” to live, Lundgren he sought a second opinion on his condition.
The new data revealed that there was a mutation akin to lung cancer, which was reportedly easier to cure. The actor told Bensinger during their conversation that the new treatment changed his life.
“If I had gone on the other treatment, I would have had about three to four months left,” Lundgren said. “I couldn’t believe that [the new treatment] would be that radical of a difference. Within three months, the cancer was shrinking by 20 or 30 percent.”
“I remember sharing the news with my family — it was emotional,” he added.
“By 2022, things had shrunk by about 90 percent. Now, I’m in the process of taking out the remaining scar tissue from the tumours.”
The actor, who’s due to reprise his role as King Nereus in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, said that he’s learned to “appreciate life more” after going through this. He added that hopes discussing his experience with cancer will help people in a similar position.
As well as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Lundgren’s other projects this year include The Expendables 4 and Wanted Man, which he will write and direct.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom currently has a release date of December 25 in the US and December 29 in the UK.
