The Hobbit's Ian McKellen Talks Prostate Cancer—but His Agent Says He's Fine!

Star says he is not undergoing treatment and that he is "examined regularly, and it's contained"

By Alexis L. Loinaz Dec 11, 2012 11:12 PMTags
Ian McKellenTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Ian McKellen, who has faced many a battle onscreen, seems just as fearless when the cameras stop rolling.

The Hobbit star revealed that he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he's been fighting for "six or seven years."

Per U.K.'s The Mirror, the 73-year-old has not undergone any treatment for the disease, which he says has not progressed.

"I am examined regularly, and it's contained," he explained. "It's not spreading. I've not had any treatment."

While that's good news indeed, his prognosis might be even be better, according to his agent.

"No, he does not have prostate cancer," Chris Andrews, an agent for CAA, told ABCNews.com. "That was taken out of context and from an interview from years ago."

Well, either way, his health sounds good.

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According to the Mirror, the star said he suspected he might be ill after he began making repeated trips to the bathroom at night, and said that when the diagnosis arrived, "You do gulp when you hear the news."

But, he added, "It's like when you go for an HIV test—you go, 'Argh, is this the end of the road?' You monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn't spread."

The revelation comes on the eve of the highly anticipated U.S. debut of The Hobbit, which hits theaters this Friday and in which McKellen reprises his role as the wizard Gandalf.

Reps for the actor did not respond to requests for comment.