Actor, writer, and director Erik Jensen, best known for appearances in The Walking Dead, Mr Robot and For Life, has been diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, his wife announced Wednesday.
The diagnosis was made public a year after Jensen survived a brain aneurysm as his family announced a GoFundMe set-up to help pay for treatment and associated expenses.
The fundraiser page, set up by his wife Jessica Blank, confirmed the cancer “has metastasized to his liver.” Blank added the actor’s biggest hope is if doctors “have a shot at shrinking the tumors enough to do two very major surgeries and get them all out.”
She added the two were struggling financially as her actor husband has faced a “lack of streaming residuals” over the past few years. Since July, most of Hollywood has been shut down as no actors are working.
Jessica Blank (C), Erik Jensen (R) and their daughter Sadie (L) attend Audible Theater’s Coal Country at Cherry Lane Theater on March 10, 2022 in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Audible)
Since the GoFundMe was started last Wednesday, the page has received around $118,000 out of the stated $300,000 goal.
The Daily Mirror reports co-stars and other members of The Walking Dead family have shared their support on social media for Erik.
“One of TWD’s own could use a little help. Erik Jensen, who played Dr. Steven Edwards in S5 was just diagnosed with cancer, and it’s a time of great uncertainty for him and his family,” Scott Gimple wrote on social media, who was an executive producer for the zombie show.