Actor Jeff Bridges was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Critics Choice Awards. The ceremony was held on Sunday (January 15).
The award comes after some challenging years for the True Grit and Hell or High Water star. In October 2020, he announced he was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Bridges’ cancer was in remission by September 12, 2021. But his recovery was complicated by the fact that he contracted COVID-19 while he was undergoing chemotherapy.
“My dance with Covid makes my cancer look like a piece of cake,” Bridges said at the time.
View this post on Instagram
Bridges opened up further about his cancer battle during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in the press room after the Critics Choice Awards. He said:
“I was sick for two years — with cancer and COVID. And when I talked about my family…I wanted to, you know, talk about their support during that time. I didn’t think I was going to make it at all, let alone get going back to work.“
Bridges said because his family “supported [him] so beautifully,” he was able to finish working on his show The Old Man. The show temporarily paused filming due to the pandemic, which coincided with Bridges’ cancer diagnosis.
“We were stopped in the middle of the season and it was very surreal. It was like we had a two year long weekend ya know?” Bridges said.
Bridges went on to say:
“And then we came back to work and, you know, I’d say to Amy Brennamen and [John] Lithgow, and say, ‘I had the weirdest dream guys. I was in the hospital. I couldn’t believe it. But their support during those times — and also The Old Man. Doing that show was terrific and I’m so happy we’re going to do another season starting in March.”
You can also head below to watch Bridges’ full backstage interview at the Critics Choice Awards. Congratulations to him on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award!