Bruce Campbell has opened up about his ongoing battle with cancer, offering fans an encouraging update nearly five months after revealing his diagnosis.
The Evil Dead star discussed his health during the July 28 episode of Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, where he spoke candidly about adjusting to life with a form of cancer that he previously described as “treatable, not curable.”
“I think I’m doing as well as you can do for having cancer,” Campbell told Rosenbaum. “I go through most of my day not thinking that I have any cancer. It’s a bit of a whack-a-mole life that I have to get used to.”
Campbell, 68, first publicly revealed his diagnosis in March. While he has chosen not to disclose the specific type of cancer, he explained at the time that treatment would require him to scale back his professional commitments, including convention appearances and other work.
During his conversation with Rosenbaum, Campbell said the months immediately following his diagnosis brought a flood of difficult information, medical appointments and scans as he learned more about his condition and treatment.
The actor has maintained his trademark sense of humor throughout the experience, but acknowledged the reality of living with an illness doctors have told him can be managed rather than cured. For now, Campbell said his approach is to pursue treatment that he can tolerate and that continues to be effective.
Despite the uncertainty that comes with the diagnosis, Campbell remains optimistic about the future, saying he has “tons of hope.”
The experience has also changed the way Campbell looks at his life. He told Rosenbaum that his diagnosis prompted him to get his affairs in order, reconnect with friends and family members and reconsider how he spends his time.
“If you want to refocus your life, laser focus only on the things that bring you joy and remove the drudgery from your life forever, get cancer,” Campbell said.
Campbell’s diagnosis was announced on March 2, when the actor shared a message explaining that some of his upcoming professional plans would have to take a back seat to his health. At the time, he reassured fans that he had a strong support system and expected “to be around a while.”
Campbell is best known for playing Ash Williams, the chainsaw-wielding hero he first portrayed in Sam Raimi’s 1981 horror classic The Evil Dead. He returned for Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness and the Starz series Ash vs Evil Dead, making Ash one of horror’s most recognizable characters.
His connection to the franchise continues behind the scenes. Campbell served as an executive producer on the recently released Evil Dead Burn and remains involved with the series as a producer.
The actor is also looking ahead to Ernie & Emma, a comedy that marks a particularly personal project for Campbell. He wrote, directed, produced and stars in the film, giving him a level of creative control he said he had not experienced since making the original Evil Dead.
Campbell’s full conversation with Rosenbaum, which also covers his career, his changing relationship with Hollywood and the making of Ernie & Emma, is available on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.