Actor and comedian Moshe Kasher has revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
Kasher, who appears in the hit medical drama The Pitt, shared the news in an emotional Father’s Day post, telling fans he has been battling HPV-positive tonsil cancer after discovering a lump in the back of his throat.
The 46-year-old actor said he has already undergone surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as part of his treatment.
In his post, Kasher shared a hospital photo and described the intense operation with his usual dark humor.
“Two days ago, a Jewish surgery robot at Cedars-Sinai yanked my jaw open for 5 hours and cut it out and then slit my throat and dissected my neck leaving me with a hardcore neck scar which will make people reluctant to street fight me,” he wrote.
He added that his tongue was clamped and pulled out during the procedure, leaving it swollen and bruised.
“I sound like I Am Sam,” he joked.
Kasher, who shares an 8-year-old daughter with his wife, comedian Natasha Leggero, said he has been dealing with the diagnosis for several months.
He described the experience as “the most terrifying and consciousness-consuming experience of my life.”
Despite the diagnosis, Kasher said he continued working on the upcoming Judd Apatow-directed movie The Comeback King while going through the difficult process.
“I truly cannot believe I managed to work an entire movie while dealing with this,” he wrote.
Kasher also praised Apatow for being supportive during filming.
“Judd could not have been a more kind, supportive and nurturing friend,” he said, adding a joke about Apatow’s “terrifying” energy drink habit.
The comedian said he feels grateful for the care he has received at Cedars-Sinai.
“The people at Cedars are all such kind pros and I feel like I’m in the best hands possible,” he wrote.
Kasher admitted he is still in pain and facing a long recovery.
“I’m in pain and I’m in the middle of a very difficult process,” he said. “It’s gonna be a long summer.”
Still, he said there is reason to be hopeful.
“The good news is the cancer I have has an incredibly high cure rate,” he wrote, saying the rate is “in the 95% zone.”
Kasher said he is determined to keep going.
“As for getting through this — I am. I will continue. I will get better,” he wrote.
He ended his Father’s Day message on an emotional note, saying he is grateful for the life he has and the child he gets to raise.
“I’m so grateful I have a life that’s worth living and a kid to raise this Father’s Day,” he wrote.
Kasher has appeared in several TV shows and films over the years, including Zoolander 2, and is also known for his stand-up comedy. This year, he appeared in The Pitt as Samuel Jacob.