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 as well as his uncertainty about going back to work in the thick of it all.

A marble-sized tumor that was once within Jeff’s stomach, which was a 9 by 12-inch mass, has diminished in size 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.

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, he admitted to AARP.

The actor has reason for hope after learning that his tumor has shrunk significantly.

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 recuperation 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 change in perspective that mirrored his strategy for COVID rehabilitation.

He said as he was drawing to a close, “I began to think of my recovery as a gift being presented.”