'Seinfeld' Actor Michael Richards Reveals Prostate Cancer Battle
Michael Richards is opening up about his private battle with cancer.
In a new interview, the 74-year-old actor and comedian, who famously played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer in the summer of 2018 after a routine checkup showed high PSA levels.
Keep reading to find out more…“I thought. well, this is my time. I’m ready to go,” Michael told People about receiving the news. “But then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying, “I’ve got a 9-year-old and I’d like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?”
Michael said that his doctor then recommended he have surgery to remove the entire prostate after the biopsy didn’t look good.
“It had to be contained quickly,” he explained. “I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn’t, I probably would have been dead in about eight months.”
Michael went on to say that after coming face-to-face with his mortality was one of the reasons why he decided to write his Entrances and Exits memoir, which will be released on June 4.
“I had over 40 journals I’d kept over the years and wanted to do a full review of my life,” Michael explained. “I’m turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age.”
He added, “I wanted to connect with feelings and memory. I’m surprised at how much I was able to remember.”
Last year, Julia Louis-Dreyfus addressed the possibility of doing a Seinfeld reboot.