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“The Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell revealed Monday that he has been diagnosed with cancer, announcing the news with light-hearted humor and solemnity, as arguably only a beloved face from several horror comedies could.
“Hello friends, these days when someone has a health problem, it’s known as an ‘opportunity,’ so let’s get on with it: I’m having one of those,” Campbell wrote in a statement on social media. “It is also called a type of cancer that is ‘treatable,’ not ‘curable.'”
The 67-year-old continued: “I apologize if this is a shock, it was for me too.”
Campbell earned his place as a horror icon in the pantheon of blood-soaked leading men after director Sam Raimi cast him as Ash Williams in “The Evil Dead” (1981), a cult classic of the genre and arguable model for its timeless “cabin in the woods” setting.
The low-budget indie horror centered on Ash and his girlfriend Linda spending a romantic weekend at a remote cabin, only for them to discover “The Necronomicon” (or “The Book of the Dead”) and a recording of verses that unleashed the bad headline.
The film cost less than $400,000 and became one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time, and later helped Raimi land directing duties on “Spider-Man” (2002) and Campbell earn the nickname “The Chin” for his considerable profile silhouette.
Campbell demonstrated his comedic chops with the 1987 sequel to “The Evil Dead,” which featured much more slapstick humor. He also starred in the third entry, “Army of Darkness” (1992), and another cult classic horror comedy, “Bubba Ho-Tep” (2002), but never became a true A-lister.
Campbell has regularly participated in horror conventions over the past few decades, showing appreciation to his fans and leading hilariously candid Q&A sessions, and he directly addressed those who have always supported him in his bittersweet post on Monday.
“The good news is that I’m not going to go into any more details,” Campbell wrote. “I’m posting this because, professionally, some things will have to change: appearances, inconveniences, and work in general will have to take a backseat to treatment.”
He continued, “My plan is to do my best over the summer so I can tour my new movie ‘Ernie & Emma’ this fall. There are several downsides this summer of the year that I have to cancel. I’m very sorry for that on my part.”
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“Ernie & Emma” (2026) revolves around grief and death and was written and directed by Campbell, who also stars in the title role. He recently told The Oregonian that he never used to think about death, even when he was the young star of “The Evil Dead,” but that he does so often now.
Campbell has curated an impressive filmography despite his supposed B-movie chops, starring in the Coen brothers’ “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994), David Simon’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” (1996) and John Carpenter’s “Escape From LA” (1996).
Later, the actor also participated in the three “Spider-Man” films directed by his friend Raimi.
Campbell wrote on Monday: “I’m not trying to get sympathy – or advice – I just want to get ahead of this information in case false information spreads (which it will). Don’t fear, I’m a tough old son of a bitch and I have great support, so I hope to be here for a while.”
He added: “As always, you are the best fans in the world and I hope to see you soon!”