According to The Wrap and Deadline, the Academy Award and Golden Globe winner said earlier this week that he is feeling “terrific” in the wake of his lymphoma battle.
Bridges’ comments came Tuesday during a news conference for “The Old Man,” his new FX series slated to premiere in mid-June, the outlets reported. Production of the long-awaited TV adaptation of the Thomas Perry novel was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and again paused after Bridges’ lymphoma diagnosis, which he publicly revealed in October 2020. The following September, he announced that he was in remission, according to the entertainment outlets.
“I went through a year and a half of this bizarre dream and then came back. It was great to be back with the gang,” Bridges, 72, said alongside his co-stars Tuesday, Deadline reported.
He added that FX and the production team were “considerate” and gave him plenty of time and support during his treatment, according to The Wrap.
“The protocols – we were still in COVID – made me feel very safe and eager to get down to business and play,” he said.
John Lithgow, who also stars in the series, called Bridges “the most big-hearted person,” the outlets reported. When Lithgow’s brother, David, faced a similar diagnosis, Bridges “immediately got in touch with him,” Lithgow said.
“It’s not like you are working with an actor at all. It’s like you are working with a friend,” Lithgow said, according to Deadline.
1970 Jeff Bridges (front) as Doug and James A Watson Jr (behind) as JT Watson in the film 'Halls of Anger', 1970. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
1970 Jeff Bridges standing outside in New York city.; circa 1970; New York. (Photo by Art Zelin/Getty Images) (Art Zelin/Getty Images)
1971 Jeff Bridges as Duane Moore in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show. (Photo by John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) (John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images)
1975 American actor Lloyd Bridges (1913 - 1998) with his sons Beau (left) and Jeff (right) on a western film set, circa 1975. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images) (Archive Photos/Getty Images)
1984 Bare profile of Jeff Bridges on the set of the science fiction movie Starman, starring the American actor as a brave alien looking for the way to go home. USA, 1984. (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images) (Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images)
1987 Actor Jeff Bridges poses for the movie " Nadine" in 1987. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
1988 American actor Jeff Bridges on the set of Tucker: The Man and His Dream, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
1989 Jeff Bridges, Lloyd Bridges and Beau Bridges (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty)
1994 (L-R) Dorothy Bridges, Suzie Bridges, actor Jeff Bridges and Lloyd Bridges attend Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony on July 11, 1994 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty)
1998 (Top L-R) Actor Jeff Bridges and actor John Goodman (Bottom L-R) actor Steve Buscemi and actress Julianne Moore on set of the Gramercy Pictures movie "The Big Lebowski " circa 1998. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
1998 Actors Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi as the bowling teammates Dude, Walter and Donny, protagonists of the surreal comedy The Big Lebowski whose topic moments arise during the games. USA, 1998.(Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images) (Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images)
2009 (L-R) Director Grant Heslov, actors Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and George Clooney arrive at the "The Men Who Stare At Goats" premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival held at Roy Thomson Hall on September 11, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Overture) (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
2009 Actor Jeff Bridges and Susan Bridges arrive at the premiere Of Fox Searchlight's "Crazy Heart" on December 8, 2009 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
2010 Actor Jeff Bridges accepts the Desert Palm Achievement award onstage at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival gala held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 5, 2010 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for PSIFF) (Michael Buckner)
2010 Actor Jeff Bridges performs at the 35th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards at the InterContinental Hotel on January 16, 2010 in Century City, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for LAFCA) (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
2010 Actor Jeff Bridges poses in the press room at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 23, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
2010 Actor Jeff Bridges (L) and Director Joseph Kosinski speak at the "Tron: Legacy" panel during Comic-Con 2010 at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
2010 Actors Jeff Bridges (L) and Bruce Boxleitner arrive at Walt Disney's "TRON: Legacy" World Premiere held at the El Capitan Theatre on December 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images) (John Sciulli/Getty Images)
2010 Actor Jeff Bridges accepts the Best Actor award for "Crazy Heart" onstage during the 15th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at the Hollywood Palladium on January 15, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for VH1) (Kevin Winter)
2011 Actors Jeff Bridges (L) and Beau Bridges attend The Paley Center for Media's presentation of the premiere of "American Masters - Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides" at The Paley Center for Media on January 8, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) (David Livingston/Getty Images)
2011 Actors Jeff Bridges (L) and Josh Brolin at the Eleventh Annual AFI Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel on January 14, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI) (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI)
2011 (L-R) Actors Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, and John Goodman attend "The Big Lebowski" Blu-ray release at the Hammerstein Ballroom on August 16, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
2013 Musician Jeff Bridges performs onstage during day 1 of 2013 Stagecoach California's Country Music Festival at The Empire Polo Field on April 26, 2013 in Indio, California. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Stagecoach) (Karl Walter)
2013 Actors Jeff Bridges (L) and Jake Gyllenhaal attend Spike TV's Guys Choice 2013 at Sony Pictures Studios on June 8, 2013 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Spike TV) (Jason Merritt/TERM/Getty Images for Spike TV)
2017 Actor Jeff Bridges participates in his hands and footprints ceremony at TCL Chinese Theater on January 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for CBS Films) (John Sciulli/Getty Images for CBS Films)
2017 Actor Jeff Bridges takes a shot onstage at the 20th Century FOX panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
2017 Jeff Bridges, Star Of The Upcoming "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" attends The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Twentieth Century Fox) (Robin Marchant)
2017 Actors John Goodman and Jeff Bridges attend a ceremony honoring John Goodman with the 2,604th Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 10, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
2017 (L-R) Actors Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal and Jeff Bridges speak onstage at the 20th Century FOX panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
2019 Jeff Bridges attends the 33rd Annual American Society Of Cinematographers Awards For Outstanding Achievement In Cinematography at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 9, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images) (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)