Edward James Olmos contemplated giving up 'many, many times' amid cancer battle
Edward James Olmos contemplated giving up “many, many times" when he was going through difficult cancer treatment.
The 'Miami Vice' star was diagnosed with throat cancer and came "really close" to death when the disease and harsh chemotherapy and radiation he underwent in 2022 took a devastating toll on his body.
The 77-year-old actor recalled how his "body gave up" when his treatments concluded and he had no idea if his voice would be changed, which was a concern, considering he is a voice actor.
Today, the 'Battlestar Galactic' star is doing well and feeling "very strong".
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Edward - who voiced Chicharrón in the 2017 blockbuster Disney-Pixar animation 'Coco' - said of his current health: “It’s going really really well, thank the Lord."
Recalling his experience of cancer treatments, he shared: “Once they stopped all of the chemo and all of the radiation and all the treatment is when the body gave up. And that’s when it really became difficult.
"But past that, into 90 days, 100 days past that, I was in much better shape and today I feel very strong.”
On how debilitating it was, he continued: “Because you can't swallow, you can't talk, you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't do anything.
“This area was completely annihilated.
“They told me before I started the treatments, ‘We have no idea what you’re gonna sound like.
“It’s the treatment that usually kills you because what ends up happening [is] it weakens the body.
“The chemotherapy takes out all your white blood cells and what ends up happening is you have no immune system. So if I were to ever have bad kidneys, bad heart, bad lungs, bad anything, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
He added: “Thank God my body was okay.”
The 'Selena' star has transformed his lifestyle and says exercise and sleeping and eating well is the key to a long life.
He explained: “The way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you sleep, basic fundamentals.
“That’s the key to your life — you are what you eat and you are what you do. So if you don’t do anything, you’re not gonna be around very long.
“But if you do stuff, you keep your body moving, you keep on stretching, you keep on doing things that most people give up — I’m close to 80, so I know I look good, but I’m old."
The 'Blade Runner' actor has no plans to stop acting as it's his "purpose" in life.
Asked about the prospect of retirement, he replied: “Well that’s the essence of living, you know? What’s your purpose? And I’m very grateful that I continue to work and that I’m able to do films and television and plays, theatre."
