Actor David Ramsey has revealed that he quietly battled cancer earlier in his career.
Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside Of You podcast, the 54-year-old Arrow star shared that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer years ago.
Ramsey said he underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and eventually lost one of his testicles to the disease.
Explaining why he kept it private for so long, he said it simply wasn’t in his nature to talk about it.
“There’s a part of my personality that’s laid back… as it comes, it comes. I think that’s reflected in me not really sharing the story,” he said.
He added that with the rise in cancer cases in recent years, he now feels it’s important to speak up.
Ramsey said he first noticed something was wrong when he realised one testicle was significantly smaller than the other.
After years of monitoring a condition called microlithiasis, things took a sudden turn when one testicle swelled up unexpectedly.
He was later advised to have it removed and began chemotherapy treatment.
Although chemo was tough, Ramsey said what affected him the most was seeing young children going through the same treatment.
“You’re sitting there getting stuff pumped into you and you look over and see a 12-year-old kid with no hair and his mum sitting next to him… and you’re like, ‘I’m alright,’” he recalled.
The experience, he said, changed his outlook on life and his career.
Instead of worrying about roles or status in Hollywood, he now approaches his work with gratitude.
“This is f***ing awesome, bro. That’s always my perspective,” he said.
Ramsey is best known for playing Spartan on Arrow and appearing in several other DC series.
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