Bruce

EVIL Dead actor Bruce Campbell has revealed he has cancer in an emotional Instagram statement.

The 67-year-old screen star told fans in the message “sorry if it’s a shock – it was to me too”.

Yet the Michigan-born horror actor was then quick to reassure them “fear not, I am a tough old son of a b***h”.

Bruce has revealed he has a “treatable but not curable” form of the disease and will need to take time away from work to recover.

The Hysteria! star wrote in a text post uploaded to his Instagram grid: “Hi folks these days when someone is having a health issue its referred to as an ‘opportunity’ so let’s go with that – I’m having one of those.

“It’s also called a type of cancer that’s ‘treatable not curable’.

“I apologize if that’s a shock, it was to me too.”

Bruce who was in cult flicks Crimewave and Maniac Cop added: “The good news is, I’m not going to go into any more detail.

“I’m posting this, because professionally, a few things will have to change – appearances and cons and work in general need to take [a] back seat to treatment.

“There are several cons this year summer [sic] that I have to cancel. Big regrets on my part.

“Treatment needs and professional obligations don’t always go hand-in-hand.

“That’s about it. I’m not trying to enlist sympathy – or advice – I just want to get ahead of this information in case false information gets out (which it will).

“Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-b***h and I have great support, so I expect to be around a while.

“As always, you’re the greatest fans in the world and I hope to see you soon!”

Fans were also quick to offer words of support for the science fiction TV star.

One insisted: “Cancer doesn’t stand a chance. Hail to the king, baby. We love you Bruce.”

A second put: “Sending you all the best, Bruce!”

A third posted: “You are loved and must feel the terrific support flooding your direction! You definitely have this!”

One then added: “Hail to the King, baby.”

Bruce is best-known for his role in the Evil Dead franchise, playing Ash Williams.

He is the only character to appear in each instalment of the series and battles a series of possessed creatures called Deadites, who have been taken over by the Kandarian Demon.

His stints in the Evil Dead movies saw him voted as the greatest horror movie character ever back in 2013.

His personal profile has rocketed thanks to his movie status, with many hailing Bruce a cultural icon.

In 2007, he featured in a parody of his movie career in My Name Is Bruce.

He previously told dvdtalk.com of filming the gory Evil Dead instalment and said: “In retrospect, it’s funny as hell.

“The last three days of shooting Evil Dead we never fell asleep. At the time we were just zombies.

“Various people would fall asleep in the middle of the woods and we’d find each other randomly.”

He added: “We didn’t even think we’d finish the movie, so there was none of this, ‘Wow, I hope we make a hit!’

“We were just hoping we’d get the hell out of Tennessee in one piece. We were wrecking rental cars, rental trucks, cameras, wrecking actresses and ourselves. Everything.

“We were getting poked, bitten, scrapped, and my brother fell off a cliff.

“It was a comedy of terror. That was the most terrifying part: making the movie.”

In a game of fine margins, Mouat and Dodds were repeatedly an inch or two away from where they needed to be.

They started with the hammer – theoretically advantageous in allowing a team to control a match – and had a shot in the first end to take three points.

However, Dodds’ effort was fractionally out and the Italians stole one. It would be a recurring theme as Constantini and Amos Mosaner dictated the contest.

The British pair levelled, before the hosts edged back ahead in a cagey third end and pinched another in the third. Again, it was a near-miss from Dodds.

That had Italy 3-1 ahead at the interval and GB chasing.

One in the fifth was less than they wanted but a big mistake by Mosaner in the sixth opened the door. Was this going to be the moment the momentum shifted?

It wasn’t. Constantini – a picture of tranquility throughout – played a perfect shot to ensure the Italians edged two clear again with two to play.

GB needed a big score, and deployed their powerplay, but again could only take one and were left needing a steal to even force an extra end.

They couldn’t. And they were left to face the nightmare scenario of another Games in which they have finished in fourth place and without a mixed doubles medal.

“We spoke last night about how lucky we are to be playing at the Olympics as best mates,” Mouat added. “We are two people that grew up together and never really knew where we could go with curling. It has been pretty special with Jen.

“I’m obviously pretty gutted but I’m so proud of us for sticking at it.”

In Beijing, they responded the right way, with women’s gold and men’s silver. What will they do this time?

Elsewhere, Kirsty Muir enjoyed a confident start to her Olympic campaign, placing third in freeski slopestyle qualifying.

Muir, one of Team GB’s best medal hopes, scored a best of 64.98 from her two runs in Livigno.

That put the 21-year-old behind Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud and China’s Eileen Gu – the gold and silver medallists from Beijing 2022 respectively – in the standings.

“I am feeling really relieved. I was really nervous this morning. Putting a good run down in the qualifications was important for me because I wanted to be in that final,” Muir told BBC Sport.

“In the qualifying, it is sometimes more nerve-wracking, whereas, in the final you go all out and you either get it or you don’t. That’s what I am going to be ready for.”

Gu, a triple medallist from four years ago, is one of the biggest global stars at these Games but avoided an early shock after crashing off the first rail of her opening run.

After almost a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Muir has won three World Cup golds in the past year, including two in slopestyle.

The Olympic final takes place on Monday from 11:30 GMT.

Chris McCormick couldn’t match Muir in reaching the men’s slopestyle final, missing out on a place in the top 12 with a best score of 33.90.

The 27-year-old, who learned to ski on Bearsden dry slope, came into his debut Olympics nursing an ankle injury.

“To even make it to the start gate is a small victory,” McCormick – who will also compete in big air – told BBC Sport.

“I really wanted to show my best skiing. But I’m super happy to be here, especially when I think of where I’ve come from, from the dry slope to here, that’s a big achievement. And I’ve had a lot of fun, despite all the pain I’ve been skiing through.”

In Tesero, Anna Pryce made history by becoming the first British athlete to compete in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon at an Olympic Games.

Pryce, who switched allegiance from Canada last year, came 42nd – finishing seven minutes and 24 seconds behind gold-medal winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden.

Pryce said she was so excited to make her Olympic debut that she was “giggling at the start”.

“Maybe I should have felt more nervous, I don’t know. But I feel pretty relaxed and maybe that translated into my skiing – which was great,” she said.

GB started with the hammer, took two in accomplished first end, and looked like they might enjoy a comfortable start to the day in Italy.

Estonia responded by doing the same, though, after a slight Dodds error with her last stone. “Sorry, Bruce,” said the 34-year-old, who was slightly errant again with her opening rock of the third end.

But Dodds, peerless against Norway, righted herself to deliver a magnificent final store and restore GB’s two-point advantage.

The Estonians should have pulled level again, but a Marie Kaldvee mistake ensured they still trailed at the break. “It’s been a bit of back and forth,” was how 2022 Olympic gold medallist Vicky Wright described it.

Kaldvee was slack again upon the resumption and Mouat – fuelled by an interval munch of mango – delivered with GB’s final stone to extend the advantage to 6-3 with three ends remaining.

Estonia – who overcame a four-point deficit in the final end against Switzerland in their opener – employed their powerplay in the sixth and moved back within one after capitalising on a rare Mouat error.

GB played their own powerplay in response and made full use of it, a furious double sweep by both Mouat and Dodds earning a decisive four points after some deliberation with the measuring stick.

That opened up a five-point chasm, which persuaded the Estonians to shake hands and concede defeat with an end to spare.

“That was better from me today. I had a few that slipped up, but I called myself a bad word, and moved on,” Mouat told BBC Sport.

“We’re very happy with how we’re performing and excited to get GB off on the right foot.”

The pounding music and disco lights lent a sense of occasion to the first action of this year’s Games in the high-end Italian resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The snow which had hammered down all day in the Dolomites had turned to sleet by the time the four matches started in front of a healthy crowd inside the 3,500-capacity arena.

But many of those spectators were cast into darkness for four or five minutes early on until someone put some change in the meter, the scoring screens flickered back into life and play resumed.

“I didn’t mind the lights going off,” said Mouat. “It was a bit of a boogie, a rave… it was like a nightclub.”

When the dancing stopped, Norway’s husband and wife team of Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien initially took control before the sides fell into a cagey contest.

Mouat and Dodds seized the initiative in a splendid second end – the final accounting reached after some lengthy deliberation with the measuring stick – and led 4-3 at the break after edging a tight fourth against the 2002 silver medallists.

The interval did check the momentum of the childhood friends a little, as Norway – who also won bronze in 2018 – drew level again.

Nedregotten’s flawless play was keeping Norway in it – wife Skaslien’s struggles threatening a little domestic disharmony – but even his efforts could not prevent Team GB snatching three in the sixth end thanks to a stunning Dodds throw.

That opened a three-shot lead with two ends to play.

And, although the Norwegians invoked the powerplay to cut the deficit to one, Mouat and Dodds did likewise in the last end to close out a statement 8-6 win.

“It took us a bit of time to work out one end was curling more than the other, but once we did we took a step up in performance and took control from there,” Dodds said.

“It’s a good confidence builder to start the week.”