Bruce Campbell’s Cancer Diagnosis

American actor and filmmaker Bruce Campbell, best known for his role in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, has been diagnosed with cancer. In a social media statement posted on Monday night, Campbell shared that his professional obligations will have to ‘take a back seat to treatment,’ stating that he intends to ‘get as well as [he] possibly can over the summer,’ in time to tour with the team for his new movie, Ernie & Emma, this fall.

In his statement, the actor mentioned that the cancer is “‘treatable,’ not ‘curable,’” and that he was “not gonna go into any more detail.” Apologizing for the shock and sharing that the diagnosis was a blow to him, too, Campbell decided to share this news ahead of cancelling several upcoming public appearances.

“Treatment needs and professional obligations don’t always go hand-in-hand,” wrote the 67-year-old award-winning actor. Reassuring his followers, he also wrote, “Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-b*tch, and I have great support, so I expect to be around a while.”

Campbell first starred as the protagonist in The Evil Dead (1981), a project he worked on with Sam Raimi, who wrote, directed, and edited the movie. Following an endorsement by Stephen King, a popular author in the horror genre, the movie began to gain traction and was distributed in the US. In 1987, the sequel, Evil Dead II, was released.

The actor has both starred in and directed Ernie & Emma, which is set to release later this year. The movie is about Ernie, a small-town pear salesman, and his road trip following the death of his beloved wife, Emma.