Given the seriousness of the 'Seinfeld' star's condition, Michael Richards’ doctor recommended immediate and aggressive action.
Seinfeld star Michael Richards is opening up about the private battle with prostate cancer he faced in 2018.
The 74-year-old comedian recounts the moment he learned about his elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels during a routine checkup. The diagnosis was a shock.
"I thought, well, this is my time. I’m ready to go," he recalls to People. However, thoughts of his young son, whom he shares with Beth Skipp, quickly changed his perspective.
He says he asked the doctor, "'I've got a 9-year-old, and I'd like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?'"
Given the seriousness of his condition, Richards' doctor recommended immediate and aggressive action. A biopsy had shown concerning results, prompting the decision to remove the entire prostate. "It had to be contained quickly," Richards explains. "I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months."
Confronting his mortality inspired Richards to delve deeply into his past. He wrote a memoir, Entrances and Exits, drawing from over 40 journals he had kept throughout his life.
Richards' memoir, set to be released on June 4, also addresses a dark chapter in his career: his infamous racist tirade in 2006 at the Laugh Factory. The incident occurred after an audience member heckled him during a comedy show. Reflecting on the event, Richards writes, "He went low and I went even lower. We both ended up at the bottom of the barrel."
In the aftermath of the scandal, Richards' Seinfeld co-stars, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, offered their support. Despite their outreach, Richards felt "embarrassed" and worried about the impact his actions would have on his colleagues.
"I was concerned about the mess spilling onto them," he admits.
Richards recently made his first red carpet appearance in eight years at the Los Angeles premiere of Seinfeld’s Unfrosted movie. The 74-year-old actor warmly embraced 70-year-old Seinfeld before posing for photographs and acknowledging the crowd of fans.
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