Actress Lucy Davis, best known for playing receptionist Dawn Tinsley in the original UK version of The Office, has revealed she is living with incurable stage four breast cancer that has spread to her bones, after keeping her diagnosis private for eighteen months.
“The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo,” Davis, 53, wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of herself ringing a bell traditionally used to mark the end of cancer treatment. “A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasised to my bones.”
Breast Cancer Lucy Davis: How Did She First Discover She Had Cancer?
Davis described the subtle way her illness first presented itself, warning others against dismissing similarly minor symptoms. “The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked,” she wrote, adding, “So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything — get everything checked out.”
Breast Cancer Lucy Davis: How Is She Choosing To Approach Her Remaining Time?
Rather than focusing on her prognosis, Davis said she was determined to live out whatever time remains as fully as possible. “As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can,” she wrote, adding, “I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that.”
Speaking separately to Fox News, Davis said she had made peace with her diagnosis, saying, “I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it.”
Breast Cancer Lucy Davis: Does She Plan To Continue Working Despite Her Diagnosis?
Davis, who also appeared in Shaun of the Dead, Wonder Woman and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, made clear she intends to keep pursuing the work she loves for as long as she is able. “I’m still going to keep up all my work for animal rights. It’s so important to me. And I still would like to keep working. I’m perfectly able to do so, and acting is one of the biggest joys in my life,” she said. Davis added that pain from the cancer will at times require her to use a wheelchair, joking, “so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!”
Davis closed her announcement with a message to others facing similar diagnoses. “For those of you on a similar journey to mine, I do wish you well. Cancer asks a lot from us, physically and mentally. And we all get to do it however we choose,” she wrote, signing off with “Much love to you all.”
