Dolph Lundgren talks about his battle with cancer in new book
2 october 2026 в 06:13
Dolph Lundgren opened up in his new memoir «Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle», - discussing his battle with cancer and his career in Hollywood. In an interview with Mona Kosar Abdi, he shared details about his journey and his views on life after the diagnosis.
In 2015, Lundgren was diagnosed with kidney cancer, but a second opinion confirmed that he had treatable lung cancer. At one point, he was told he had only a few years to live. Lundgren noted that confronting his own mortality was frightening and required a lot of strength and discipline to cope with it.
After learning that he could overcome cancer, Dolph faced survivor’s guilt. He recounted how his therapist explained that cancer and the proximity to death can trigger post-traumatic syndrome, which may manifest as depression and suicidal thoughts. Lundgren admitted that it took him six to nine months to emerge from that state.
The actor also recalled his difficult childhood with an abusive father, which influenced his desire to become physically strong. He began engaging in sports as a teenager, which later helped him land roles in films.
Lundgren has appeared in more than 75 films, but it was his role in «Rocky IV» that changed his life. He and his famous co-star Sylvester Stallone became close friends. Dolph recounted how one of the punches during filming sent Stallone to the hospital for four days due to damage to his heart muscle. According to Lundgren, Stallone was not very angry about it.
The book «Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle» is already available for reading.
In 2015, Lundgren was diagnosed with kidney cancer, but a second opinion confirmed that he had treatable lung cancer. At one point, he was told he had only a few years to live. Lundgren noted that confronting his own mortality was frightening and required a lot of strength and discipline to cope with it.
After learning that he could overcome cancer, Dolph faced survivor’s guilt. He recounted how his therapist explained that cancer and the proximity to death can trigger post-traumatic syndrome, which may manifest as depression and suicidal thoughts. Lundgren admitted that it took him six to nine months to emerge from that state.
The actor also recalled his difficult childhood with an abusive father, which influenced his desire to become physically strong. He began engaging in sports as a teenager, which later helped him land roles in films.
Lundgren has appeared in more than 75 films, but it was his role in «Rocky IV» that changed his life. He and his famous co-star Sylvester Stallone became close friends. Dolph recounted how one of the punches during filming sent Stallone to the hospital for four days due to damage to his heart muscle. According to Lundgren, Stallone was not very angry about it.
The book «Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle» is already available for reading.
© Kolganov Andrey
