Jeff Bridges Gives Health Update After Battling Cancer and COVID

Jeff Bridges was looking happy and healthy after a life-threatening fight with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a near-death battle with COVID-19.

“Extra’s” Jenn Lahmers caught up with the star at the premiere of his new FX series “The Old Man,” where she asked, “Do you feel as good as you look?”

He laughed, telling her, “I feel pretty good. I hope I'm looking as good as I feel. I feel great.”

Opening up about his health, Bridges explained, “Had the cancer and the COVID together and throw the chemo in there that stripped all my immune system and that’s when the COVID hit me and that pretty much knocked me for a loop.”

Jenn told him, “I had no idea it was that bad,” and Jeff shared, “Oh, yeah. It was tough,” saying there were “five or six weeks there where it was whether I was going to make it or not.”

While chemotherapy made it tough for Jeff to fight off COVID, he says he caught the virus while at the medical facility. Jeff fought his way back, making it his goal to walk his youngest daughter Hayley down the wedding aisle.

He told Jenn, “That was terrific. You set little goals. And that was a big one… Got to do that without my oxygen.”

The star just celebrated his 45th wedding anniversary with wife Susan Geston. Lahmers wanted to know “What the secret sauce? Because you’re in Hollywood, that’s not average.”

Bridges told her, “It's that little corny thing. Don't get a divorce. That's how you stay married and you take those bumps that you have in a relationship. It's kind of like this illness. That's a tough obstacle. But that's where you get lessons where you can learn only in those places.”

Now, Jeff’s cancer is in remission and the 72-year-old is back in fine form in “The Old Man,” based on the best-selling thriller.

Jeff plays a former CIA operative forced out of hiding after an assassination attempt. Jenn pointed out, “You kicked COVID’s ass. You kicked cancer’s ass. Now, you’re kicking guys’ asses half your age in this series.”

Bridges replied, “There you go. I love doing fights and stuff in movies. We have great stunt coordinators.”

Bridges is gracing the cover of emmy magazine's June issue, on newsstands June 16.

In exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from his photo shoot with emmy Magazine, Bridges teased what to expect from "The Old Man," saying, "You're in for some suspense, lots of twists and turns."

He didn't want to spoil anything, saying, "I don't want to deprive people of the way I look at movies, which is not knowing anything about it... let it be a mystery."

Jeff also dished on his rottweiler co-stars, saying, "The dogs were just wonderful to work with, but that wouldn't happen without Sarah Clifford, our dog trainer."