Life in between filming the first and second series of The Old Man has been vastly different for Jeff Bridges. The Oscar-winning actor led the first season of the action thriller at 70, seemingly healthy and ready to take on the world. However, unbeknown to him at the time, he had undiagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a 9x12 inch tumour in his stomach, which would require intense treatment.
Rather than the often used language of "fighting" the cancer, Bridges described himself as being "in surrender mode" as he not only went through chemotherapy but also contracted COVID-19. However, he set himself the goal of walking his daughter down the aisle, which he did in 2021, and has since said his tumour has been reduced to "the size of a marble". Now, The Big Lebowski actor has returned to the small screen for the second season of Disney+ show The Old Man, which tells the story of a former CIA operative on the run and also stars Conclave's John Lithgow and Blink Twice actress Alia Shawkat.
Despite a vast career in film, this is Bridges' first time leading a TV series - a format he saw his father Lloyd Bridges excel in when he was a child. "With movies, you have a beginning, middle and an end," he tells Sky News. "You know where you're going.
That's not the case in the series, it's exciting." The American actor says he makes an effort to instil "joy" and kindness on his sets, crediting his father's love for the art of acting for why he remains so positive. "I mean, he taught me all t.