One of the most prominent actors in the world is taking a moment to raise awareness about a very serious issue.
The 57-year-old Academy Award-nominated actor appeared on the “Howard Stern Show” this week, and he talked about dealing with skin cancer several times.
“I’ve had like six skin cancers. There’s three types. Melanoma, the worst. Squamous cell, not great. I’ve only had basal cell,” Jackman said.
“No one has ever died in the history of the planet, but it’s a cancer and it grows. And if you don’t take it out, it’ll get into your bones and then you’ve got to take the bone out.”
The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, and that it is caused by “abnormal, uncontrolled growth” of basal cells. Basal cell carcinoma can be treated and cured if detected early, but as Jackman said, it can grow and spread if not attended to in a timely manner.
Jackman Addresses His Risk for Future Diagnoses
Jackman said that his doctor told him he would likely be diagnosed with more skin cancers as he ages, due to changes that take places in his immune system.
“All skin cancer, all of it happens 25 years before the cancer comes. And he said it could be one time where you got burned really badly. Just one,” Jackman said.
“Obviously, growing up in Australia, I always had a high risk. But everyone should get a check. It’s the most preventable cancer, I think, that is around.”
“Even after the first one I had, I was like, ‘Ah, but it’d still be good to get a tan when I go away.’ I’m like, what was I thinking? You’re an idiot,” he said about himself. “Be the pasty skin guy. Who cares?”
Jackman’s Initial Diagnosis and Most Recent Work
Jackman said he first realized he had skin cancer after his wife told him to “get a mark on [his] nose checked” in 2013, and after a “X-Men: Days of Future Past” makeup artist pointed it out the following year.
While addressing the issue in 2015, Jackman said that he goes to get routine checkups every three months. Most men are advised to get full skin checks annually with a dermatologist, and the risk for skin cancer is greater in men over the age of 40. Fair skin, prolonged sun exposure and a family history of skin cancer are also factors that can increase risk.
Professionally, Jackman has most recently appeared in 2025’s “Song Sung Blue,” a musical film which tells the story of the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. Jackman stars as Mike Sardina, while Kate Hudson appears as his wife Claire.
