Jeff Bridges on Returning to ‘The Previous Man’ amid Most cancers Journey (Unique)

• Jeff Bridges “wanted oxygen sometimes” when he returned to The Previous Man set amid his most cancers journey, his costar John Lithgow tells PEOPLE
• Bridges got here near dying of COVID-19 throughout his most cancers therapy in 2021
  
• “So far as being again into the present once more, everyone was so thoughtful about my situation,” the Large Lebowski star tells PEOPLE of his return to work

There was a time when Jeff Bridges did not assume he’d be returning to work amid his most cancers analysis.

Whereas chatting with PEOPLE throughout the TCA Summer time 2024 Press Tour at The Langham in Pasadena, California, on Wednesday, July 10, the actor mentioned heading again to The Previous Man set after coming near dying of COVID-19 throughout his most cancers therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021.

Discussing his well being alongside his costar John Lithgow, Bridges, 74, admits he did not “bear in mind it being that tough” when requested about being “prepared to return again for extra punishment” on the set of the motion drama.

Nonetheless, Lithgow, 78, tells PEOPLE, “All people was watching Jeff. I imply, he wanted oxygen sometimes.”

“Early days, we actually needed to watch him,” Lithgow provides.

“I imply, I did not assume I used to be … I believed, ‘I am not going to return again. I will not be capable of come again,’ ” Bridges says.

“So far as being again into the present once more, everyone was so thoughtful about my situation,” he shares. “However I do not keep in mind that as being notably tough. Even the combat scenes after I got here again, I can not bear in mind being upset about that.”

Lithgow factors out, “He was so relaxed about it. He put everyone else relaxed. Everybody at first was so watchful and nervous, and simply put everybody relaxed.”

“You simply do your greatest and that is all you are able to do. It is one thing so nice, actors working with actors, being a fraternity, a sorority … You are searching for one another,” Bridges tells PEOPLE.

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Bridges stars as Dan Chase in season 2 of The Previous Man alongside Lithgow, who performs Harold Harper.

Whereas talking on the TCA panel, Bridges joked of returning to work, “I am feeling nice now and I am coming again for extra punishment.”

He additionally recalled the “weird” feeling of filming the primary season of the present whereas sick: “I used to be doing these combat scenes. I had a 9 inch by 12 inch tumor … in my abdomen, that did not damage in any respect.”

“However I am feeling nice now. Fortuitously we have now some fantastic stunt coordinators,” Bridges added.

It has been almost 4 years since Bridges revealed he’d been recognized with lymphoma on X (previously Twitter) in October 2020. He introduced that he was formally in remission the next September.

Whereas chatting with Web page Six in April, the Large Lebowski star stated, “My well being is nice.”

“It’s such a studying expertise being sick like that,” he advised the outlet. “It’s wonderful the best way the thoughts can neglect all that stuff. I’m not considering an excessive amount of concerning the previous.”

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Whereas chatting with PEOPLE in Could 2022, Bridges stated of contracting COVID-19 throughout his most cancers therapy the 12 months earlier than, “I used to be fairly near dying.”

“The medical doctors stored telling me, ‘Jeff, you have to combat. You are not preventing.’ I used to be in give up mode. I used to be able to go. I used to be dancing with my mortality,” he added.

The Previous Man season 2 begins streaming on Hulu Sept. 12.