Hollywood is all about bright lights and big stars. The movies that Hollywood
makes is all about happy endings. Thousands of people find their way to Hollywood
looking for fame, fortune and the adoration of millions and only a handful
of those people actually achieve such great heights.
To most of us taken in by the fantasy of Hollywood find our heroes in the movies,
they can do no wrong and they are invincible. What we forget is that they too
are real people trying to go through life just as we are. We give an ode to our
Hollywood heroes that have survived the real life threat of cancer and hope the
awareness they can bring to the disease will help in finding its cure.
Michael Douglas
The Oscar winning star of Wall Street and husband of Chicago beauty Catherine
Zeta-Jones may have it all going for him in Hollywood but it doesn't take too
long for reality to strike. Just this August Douglas went on the Late Show with
David Letterman to reveal that he has throat cancer and would be seeking radiation
and chemotherapy treatment. Wife Catherine has also stated that she was outraged
that the cancer had not been caught earlier. It has been revealed that the cancer
is now at stage four but since it has not moved below his neck the prognosis
is looking good.
Michael C Hall
The Emmy award winning actor, Michael C Hall made it big as David Fisher on the
HBO series Six Feet Under about a dysfunctional family that runs a funeral home.
From one dark drama to the next Hall was then cast as the forensic blood splatter
analyst by day and serial killer by night in Dexter. The Dexter actor was diagnosed
with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January 2010 and was already undergoing treatment
when he went public with the disease. The actor was set to appear at the Emmy's
which he had been nominated for and felt he would not be able to explain his
absence and so he attended and won the Emmy wearing a black knit cap to cover
the hair he had lost due to chemo.
Christina Applegate
Samantha Who? star, Christina Applegate, first came to television as the ditzy
blonde Kelly Bundy in Married . . . with Children. In 2008 Applegate was diagnosed
with breast cancer and went for a double mastectomy even though the cancer was
found in only one breast. The cancer was not-life threatening but Applegate's
mother was also a breast cancer survivor and it was a genetic trait, leaving
Applegate to opt for the double mastectomy. It's been two years since she was
diagnosed and treated for cancer and now Applegate is cancer free and pregnant.
Sofia Vergara
Modern Family star Sofia Vergara was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 10 years ago.
On having to deal with the disease she said, “Well, I think cancer for
me was a very hard experience in my life, because I was young and I had my kid.
But I think it was also very good, because I changed the way I live my life.
I think now I don't sweat the small stuff anymore.” The Columbian actress
was nominated for an Emmy as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy and the series
won as Outstanding Comedy Series.
Sheryl Crow
Grammy award winning singer, Sheryl Crow, battled breast cancer in 2006. She
was engaged to cyclist Lance Armstrong who had his own struggle with cancer but
they split up and Crow went on to adopt two boys. Not only did Crow beat cancer,
but she's doing everything she can to help others beat it as well. Just last
month she opened the Sheryl Crow Imaging Center, a state-of-the-art facility
for the detection of breast cancer in Los Angeles.