Dolph Lundgren, the towering actor best known for his iconic role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, is sharing the deeply personal story of his battle with cancer—a fight that nearly cost him everything.
The 68-year-old star, who has also appeared in action classics like The Expendables and Universal Soldier, revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with cancer eight years earlier. At the time, doctors gave him only a few years to live, and the weight of that prognosis pushed him to consider a devastating option.
In his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, and the accompanying documentary Dolph: Unbreakable, Lundgren opens up about the darkest moments of his health journey—including conversations with his brother about medical aid in dying.
“Johan and I talked about it, but once I met Dr. Drakaki and began feeling a little better, it never went any further than that,” Lundgren wrote in the memoir, as reported by Fox News Digital.
That doctor, oncologist Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, became the turning point in his fight. During an interview with Us Weekly published Oct. 6, Lundgren revealed that she caught a misdiagnosis that could have been fatal.
“I wouldn’t have been sitting here right now” if Dr. Drakaki hadn’t intervened, he told the outlet.
After switching to a new medication, Lundgren felt “relief that it started working quite quickly.” But before that breakthrough, he was forced to confront his own mortality in the most concrete way possible.
“Of course, as most older men do, you do estate planning. You plan your will and who’s going to get what. But in this case, it was around the corner,” he said. “It was something I had to plan a little more in detail, like funerals and trying to figure out where I would be, what would be better for my family.”
He added, “Planning your own funeral is kind of a saying, but I literally was doing that. That was tough.”
Now two years cancer-free, Lundgren remains vigilant about the possibility of recurrence. “Obviously I’m aware of the fact that … something could come back,” he said. “And look, it’s just part of life. I can’t change that.”
Lundgren’s story is a powerful reminder of resilience and the importance of second opinions. His journey echoes the heartbreaking loss shared by Patriots rookie Eli Raridon, showing that even in the world of sports and entertainment, personal battles can be the toughest to fight.
For fans of the Rocky franchise, Lundgren’s candor adds a new layer to the man who once stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. His willingness to share his vulnerability is as inspiring as any of his on-screen heroics.
