It's a one-two punch for Detroit Lakes-born actor, writer and director Erik Jensen, best known for roles on "The Walking Dead," "Mr. Robot" and "The Exonerated."
Minnesota-raised 'Walking Dead' actor Erik Jensen battles stage 4 cancer
The Detroit Lakes native filmed the indie "Rebel Girl" in his home state this summer.
October 26, 2023 at 5:22PM
After surviving an aneurysm 18 months ago, he has now been diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.
"I'm not sure what lesson God is trying to teach me here," Jensen said Thursday from his home in New York. "I had such a revival of interest in living after the aneurysm. This makes the timeline a little different in how to live a good and loving existence."
His family has launched a GoFundMe effort to raise $300,000 to support his treatment, and some Hollywood stars have joined friends rallying around Jensen. As of noon Thursday, the page had raised $122,666, including from Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation") and Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace").
"We're just incredibly grateful," Jensen said, thanking schoolmates from Apple Valley High School who have reached out.
With wife Jessica Blank, a University of Minnesota grad, Jensen spent much of the summer in Minnesota shooting an indie film, "Rebel Girl," that they wrote and co-directed. It starred their teenage daughter Sadie. They are doing post-production work on "Rebel Girl" now.
"We want the world to know that the creative process is important to his health and that Erik is making art," Blank said, adding that they remained hopeful.
"When I was a kid, the word cancer was a death sentence," Jensen said. "But lots of people have survived stage 4 cancer today, and I'm hearing from a lot of them."
He's fighting to be in that number.
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