Actor Edward James Olmos detailed his devastating battle with throat cancer during the 17th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic, held in April.
The 77-year-old star said he expected to die and felt his body shutting down after undergoing the aggressive treatment, according to a recent interview with Daily Mail. He said he has gone on to make a miraculous discovery, but the struggle to get through harsh chemotherapy and radiation treatments was truly harrowing. Olmos, best known for his roles in “Miami Vice,” “Blade Runner” and “Battlestar Galactica,” said the treatments that saved his life, ultimately “burned out” his throat lymph nodes and he had to be fed through an IV drip.
Edward James Olmos attends the AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute Gala in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Phil McCarten
“Basically 16 months ago, I had my last treatment on December 20, 2022, and the next two, three months were the hardest of the entire journey,” he told Daily Mail.
He explained the harsh impact of the very treatment that was required to save his life.
“They told me before I started the treatments, we have no idea what you’re going to sound like.”
Edward James Olmos attends the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute Gala honoring actor Nicole Kidman at Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
“It’s the treatment usually that kills you, because what ends up happening, it weakens the body because of the chemotherapy, takes out all your white blood cells,” he said. “And what ends up happening is you have no immune system. So if I had bad kidneys, bad heart, bad lungs, bad anything, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Thank God my body was okay,” Olmos said.
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor explained what happened to his body during his medical journey.
“This area was completely annihilated,” he said during the interview, as he pointed to his throat. “Once they stopped all of the chemo, all the radiation and all the treatment, was when the body gave up … And that’s when it really became difficult.”
The famous actor said he wasn’t sure if he would wake up each morning, and felt his body weakening from all the treatment.
“That entered my mind many, many times throughout the process, because you can’t swallow, you can’t talk, you can’t eat, you can’t drink, you can’t do anything,” he told Daily Mail.
Now that he has overcome the most difficult part of the battle, he admits he has a “new lease on life.”
Olmos called his five-decade-long acting career “the essence of living.”
The actor has come a long way, and said, “I feel very strong and I do a lot of physical exercise.”
These days, the actor stays active and puts his focus on wellness.
“You are what you eat and you are what you do … So if you don’t do anything, you won’t be around very long,” he said. (RELATED: Christie Brinkley Reveals Devastating Health Update)
“The way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you sleep, basic fundamentals,” he added. “You have to really understand them. That’s the key to your life.”