As former “All My Children” star and Hallmark Channel alum Colin Egglesfield, 51, fights cancer for the third time, fans and fellow celebrities, from Hallmark’s Andrew Walker to NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, have rallied around him with words of encouragement. In one of several social media messages to his supporters, the actor got choked up talking about how much the love he’s received has meant to him.
Egglesfield, who starred in Hallmark’s 2015 movie “Autumn Dreams” opposite Jill Wagner, was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2006, he told Fox News, just nine months after landing the role of Josh Madden on “All My Children.” After Egglesfield underwent treatment, the cancer returned a year later. He didn’t share either diagnosis publicly until writing his 2019 book, “Agile Artist.”
On January 20, 2025, Egglesfield revealed to fans via social media that he was fighting a new cancer battle and had just undergone surgery for prostate cancer at City of Hope Phoenix, later sharing that his doctor reported it went “very well.”
Colin Egglesfield Opens About Having Cancer for ‘3rd Fricking Time’ & in Inspiring Message
Sharing a series of photos from his hospital stay, including one of standing in the hallway with his “sexy walker” and another of multiple incision scars on his abdomen, Egglesfield admitted “the beginning to this year hasn’t been the easiest” but that “we caught my prostate cancer early and after a year of doing a lot of research and talking to quite a few health care professionals, I elected to be proactive and have surgery.”
On January 21, he uploaded a video update to Instagram, sharing that “it’s been a pretty challenging past few weeks” and thanked his friends and fans for “your outpouring of amazing support.” Egglesfield said he’d been deluged with calls, texts and comments that have made a difference in his healing journey.
“It’s amazing how incredible we all can be when we all care,” he said, noting that “everyone’s going through something” while acknowledging how inspiring it’s been to see people come together to help families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires.
“I’m just constantly reminded of the amazing people that we have in our lives to support us and to just be there for us when we need it,” Egglesfield said, getting choked up. “I’ve had some pretty emotional conversations over the past few weeks and it still gets me a little emotional talking about it because cancer and any health experience, it’s scary. It’s never something that you plan for.”
“I think the best that we can do,” he continued, “is just have our goals and our dreams and work towards those, and surround ourselves with amazing people that love us and support us, and just appreciate every single day for what we have and who we have with us.”
Encouraging his followers to reach out and tell someone in their lives that they’re loved and matter, the actor said, “Having this surgery just reminded me again — for the third fricking time I’m going through this cancer journey — that tomorrow is not guaranteed.”
Amid Outpouring of Support, Colin Egglesfield Admits That Some Days Feel ‘Overwhelming’
Thousands of fans and fellow actors have liked Egglesfield’s post and flooded them with supportive comments, including Hallmark star Andrew Walker, who wrote, “You’re such an inspiration buddy. So happy you’re on the other side of this. Up up from here!! 💪”
Egglesfield replied, “Thanks Andrew and appreciate your inspiration as well! Up up from here! 👊”
“Law & Order” alum Elisabeth Röhm commented, “Sending you so much love ❤️”
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Jimmie Johnson wrote, “You’ve got this!”
On January 23, following a post-surgery appointment, Egglesfield shared that things were “on track” physically, but that he was still navigating the emotional roller coaster of his diagnosis and surgery.
“I go through these phases where I’m feeling good and then other phases where this is all so overwhelming,” he admitted. “It’s hard to describe this feeling which is a combination of gratitude, fear, hope, frustration, anger, and folly.”
“Some moments I feel like it’s all good and I’m able to move forward and others I’m halted and unable to understand what is going on and how I’m supposed to integrate new realities into my life,” he admitted, adding, “What’s helped is slowing down and finding space to voice what’s really swirling in the background of all of this without comment of it or trying to fix it. Just letting it out and let it be what it is.”
In his previous video, Egglesfield said he’d decided that instead of hiding his latest diagnosis or pretending everything was fine, he wanted to be open about how he was really feeling throughout the journey.
“People appreciate it when you’re honest with them, when you’re authentic,” he said. “When you just pretend that everything’s okay, we all hate that.”
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Stars & Fans Support Colin Egglesfield as He Emotionally Shares Cancer Battle: ‘It’s Scary’