The actor and ET correspondent opened up about his successful cancer surgery.
Following his successful surgery for kidney cancer, Cameron Mathison is feeling healthy, happy and grateful for every day -- and it turns out that the actor's role in the upcoming Hallmark Channel holiday film The Christmas Club inspired him to get the MRI that very well may have saved his life.
The 50-year-old ET correspondent and Home & Family co-host sat down with ET's Keltie Knight -- a friend and colleague of Mathison's -- where he opened up about the role the movie played in motivating him to get checked out.
According to Mathison, The Christmas Club "is about following the signs and looking at the little things in your life as little signs and indications of decisions to make."
"It was on this movie, that I was like, 'This movie is about following the signs and really paying attention and being mindful.' I came off this movie [thinking], 'I'm not going to ignore this anymore,'" he added. "That's what inspired me to go get a doctor's recommendation to get an MRI."
Mathison ended up getting the test, which led doctors to discover a tumor that'd been growing in his kidney for around a decade. Luckily, after undergoing surgery, doctors were able to remove the growth, and the whole series of events stemmed from his decision to get tested.
"It saved my life," Mathison shared. "See? These Hallmark Christmas movies are more powerful than you know."
Now that Mathison is on the mend and his prospects look as bright as ever, the actor says that the upcoming Christmas season feels more special than any other.
"It seems like the first holiday season of this next phase of my life," he said. "I don't want to get corny, but it's almost like a second chance. A second chance at the holiday season."
As for the experience itself, while Mathison said it was certainly frightening, coming out the other side has "made me appreciate every day a little more."
He's also looking forward to the release of his new Hallmark Channel original holiday film The Christmas Club, in which he stars opposite Elizabeth Mitchell.
"I have a feeling it's going to be one of people's favorites. It's one of those movies that's special. It's got humor, it's got love, it's got surprises, it's got romance, it's got everything," he said. "And it's got Christmas!"
The Christmas Club premieres Nov. 27 on Hallmark Channel.
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