“Thank you for your prayers and well wishes,” Jeff Bridges posted Monday on Twitter.Jeff Bridges Courtesy Photo
Jeff Bridges has been diagnosed with lymphoma.
The Oscar winner, known for having been a longtime Montecito resident, announced the diagnosis Monday on Twitter. Lymphoma is a kind of blood cancer.
He noted he felt fortunate for his team of doctors and the love of his family and friends.
“I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted,” Mr. Bridges, 70, said.
In a second tweet, the actor posted, “Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together. Vote.org.”
Mr. Bridges said his prognosis was good, but did not say whether he had Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say both kinds of lymphoma affect the tissues and organs that produce, store and carry white blood cells that fight infections.
The Montecito actor received a lot of support on social media, everyone from Mr. Sulu himself, “Star Trek” actor George Takei, to crime novelist Don Winslow.
Mr. Bridges is known for movies varying from the first “Iron Man” movie to “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, “Starman,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “The Fisher King” and the Coen brothers’ cult classic “The Big Lebowski,” which immortalized the actor as the Dude.
He won the Oscar for best actor two years in a row, for “Crazy Heart” (2009) and the “True Grit” remake (2010) for the role of Rooster Cogburn. (John Wayne won his only Oscar when he played the same character in the 1969 “True Grit” movie.)
Recently Mr. Bridges was filming “The Old Man,” a TV series set to debut on Hulu.
Mr. Bridges, who is known for his singing and guitar playing, photography and other art as well as his acting, has played an active role in the Santa Barbara community. His projects have included the regular contributions of his art to the annual Festival of the Hearts, a benefit for the Friendship Center, which offers adult day services in Montecito and Goleta.
Mr. Bridges is also a campaigner for No Kid Hungry, an advocate for Unity Shoppe, a musician who has performed at the Lobero Theatre and a storyteller.
Earlier this month, Mr. Bridges and his daughter, Isabelle Bridges, went on NBC’s “Today” to discuss the children’s book they wrote together, “Daddy Daughter Day.”
And, of course, Mr. Bridges is known for being a longtime part of Montecito.
In 2019, he and his wife, Susan Geston, sold their Montecito home to neighbor Oprah Winfrey for $6.85 million. (Besides their residence in Montecito, they’ve had a home in Montana.)
email: dmason@newspress.com
