John Hurt revealed via his website on Tuesday, June 16, that he was diagnosed recently with cancer. The veteran actor, 75, is currently undergoing treatment, but expects to continue working.
"I have always been open about the way in which I conduct my life and in that spirit I would like to make a statement," he wrote on his Tumblr. "I have recently been diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer."
Hurt went on to say he was "more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team." In the meantime, he intends to go about business as usual.
"I am continuing to focus on my professional commitments and will shortly be recording 'Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell' (one of life's small ironies!) for Radio 4," he wrote.
Hurt is best known for roles in movies like The Elephant Man and Midnight Express. He has also appeared in the TV series Merlin and Doctor Who. According to IMDb, he has nine projects in the works for 2015 and 2016.