Sir Ian McKellen has been battling prostate cancer for "six or seven years".
The 73-year-old star often fears it "could be the end of the road", but he now lives happily with the potentially life-threatening disease.
He said: “You do gulp when you hear the news. It’s like when you go for an HIV test, you go ‘arghhh is this the end of the road?’ They say you have cancer of the prostate and then that you can have it zapped.
“You can have it snipped but you are not a candidate for that. You are waitful watching.”
They are concerned about the cancer spreading outside the prostate. If it doesn’t you are fine. How do you know if it is spreading? You keep being tested
The 'Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' actor – who portrays Gandalf the Grey in the film series – revealed he is yet to receive any treatment for prostate cancer and insists it is "no big deal".
He explained: “I’ve had it for six or seven years, when you have got it you monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn’t spread.