Edward James Olmos answers retirement concern after battling throat cancer

Edward James Olmos admits he doesn't hope to retire anytime soon after being successful in his battle against throat cancer.  

The veteran actor passed the verdict while reflecting on his post-treatment recovery in a Daily Mail interview published on Monday.

The 77-year-old actor expressed gratitude for his progress and credited his survival to the strength of his body and the support of medical professionals.

“It’s the treatment that usually kills you because what ends up happening [is] it weakens the body,” Olmos detailed about this process. “The chemotherapy takes out all your white blood cells and what ends up happening is you have no immune system. So if I were to ever have bad kidneys, bad heart, bad lungs, bad anything, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

However, he also recalled moments of doubt and despair as the two to three months after his last treatment on Dec. 20, 2022 'were the hardest of the entire journey.'

"Once they stopped all of the chemo and all of the radiation and all the treatment is when the body gave up," he said as he pointed towards the physical and emotional strain of the ordeal.

Olmos confessed there were 'many, many times throughout the process' when the thought of giving up 'entered my mind.'

He also described the devastation inflicted on his throat throughout his battle.

“You can't swallow, you can't talk, you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't do anything,” the Miami Vice actor said.

He star remembers staying resilient despite the uncertainties, “They told me before I started the treatments, ‘We have no idea what you’re gonna sound like,’” he said.

He now emphasises the importance of holistic health practices, including mindful eating, exercise, and adequate rest, in maintaining vitality and longevity.

“That’s the key to your life — you are what you eat and you are what you do. So if you don’t do anything, you’re not gonna be around very long.”

“But if you do stuff, you keep your body moving, you keep on stretching, you keep on doing things that most people give up — I’m close to 80, so I know I look good, but I’m old,” Olmos joked as he came to a conclusion.