Hollywood heart-throb Hugh Jackman, 45, most famous for his role as Wolverine in sci-fi superhero franchise X-Men, is not as invincible as the character he plays on screen. The actor posted a photo of his face with a bandage on his nose on his Instagram page, following a procedure to remove cancerous cells from his face. After his wife Deborra-Lee Furness told him to get his nose checked, he was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma — cancerous cells that grow on the surface of the skin.
“Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!” He said, according to BBC.
According to the online medical site WebMD.com, basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and accounts for more than 90 percent of skin cancer patients in the United States. Basal cell carcinomas rarely spread but, if not removed, can damage and disfigure surrounding tissue.
Jackman is one of Hollywood’s leading action stars. He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar last year for his role as prisoner-turned-businessman Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of Les Miserables. Most recently, he has starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the gritty drama Prisoners.
Other celebrities who’ve had skin cancer scares include actor Brooke Shields. While Shield is now skin-cancer free, she told People Magazine that her doctor had removed a pre-cancerous mole from her face, which served as a real wake-up call.
Another familiar face that has beat cancer is that of Eric Dane, more commonly known as McSteamy from the popular TV drama Grey’s Anatomy. The actor was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008, but went on to beat the disease successfully.
“Please don’t be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!!” the Les Miserables actor emphasized in the Instagram post, according to Reuters. The actor’s public service message is an important one, and proves that Hollywood actors aren’t as invulnerable as they appear on screen. Representatives for Jackman have no updates on the actor’s condition and recovery following his Instagram post.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2013.
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