Scottish comedian Billy Connolly was recently successfully treated for prostate cancer, but he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
In a statement posted on his official site, a rep for the Brave voice actor explained that he underwent surgery in the U.S. for prostate cancer after he was diagnosed in the early stages of cancer. “The operation was a total success, and Billy is fully recovered,” the statement read.
However, doctors determined that he is showing the early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and he is being treated for it.
He was told that this will not affect his theatrical tour of New Zealand next year or his work on a new TV series in production.
According to Reuters, the Glasgow-born Connolly told a Belfast audience in April that he was suffering gaps of memory loss. “This is ... terrifying. I feel like I'm going out of my mind,” the Northern Ireland newspaper the Record reported him as saying.
Connolly is an internationally beloved comedian, having voiced a character in Pixar’s Brave and appearing in films like The Last Samurai, The Boondock Saints and Muppet Treasure Island. He recently appeared in Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut Quartet and will appear in the last two Hobbit films.
image: Wikimedia Commons