Actor Taye Diggs, known for TV roles on All American and Private Practice and films including Rent and The Best Man, has spoken about losing both his parents to cancer and how that experience changed his life.
Diggs told Healthline that his connection to cancer is both positive and negative: positive because it motivates him to raise awareness, and negative because of his personal loss. “Both my parents passed from various cancers and being a father, and loving being a father, I want to make sure that I spend as much time with him as possible and stick around here for as long as I can,” he said. Taking an early-detection blood test gave him peace of mind and a sense of being “in the driver’s seat.”
He recently partnered with Cancerguard, a blood test for people ages 50 and older that can detect more than 50 types and subtypes of cancer before symptoms appear. Diggs emphasized that such tests are not diagnoses but can indicate whether further, more specific testing is needed.
Diggs lost his mother to breast cancer and his stepfather to colon cancer. That experience, he said, forced him to reassess his priorities. “It almost forces you to look at things differently. [It] makes me value life and health way more than I did before,” he told Healthline. Previously feeling invincible, he now recognizes that bad things can happen and that his son encourages him to stay on top of his health. “When you have people that you care about, you want to be around for them,” he said. Since his parents’ deaths, Diggs has been more committed to early-detection tests, watching his diet, exercising, and taking health seriously.
Discussing fatherhood, Diggs, whose son Walker is 17, said the losses shaped his approach to parenting and relationships. “I can’t help but just be aware. I realize now life doesn’t last forever. I realized the importance of parenting. I realized the importance of a solid, healthy, and honest relationship,” he said. Losing his mother was a “really tough blow,” but the experience has made him a different—and he believes—better father, more aware of himself and his relationships.
Health experts and organizations back the emphasis on early detection. The American Cancer Society notes that screenings and early diagnosis have significantly improved survival for many cancers. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute, has said advances in screening and prevention have helped. Research shows that finding cancer earlier in its growth trajectory makes treatment more effective and improves survival rates. Arif Kamal, MD, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society, has emphasized that mortality often depends on when cancer is detected, underscoring the importance of regular cancer screenings.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
