The Office star Lucy Davis has revealed she has been diagnosed with “incurable” stage four breast cancer.
The 53-year-old actor, who is the daughter of comedian Jasper Carrott, played the role of receptionist Dawn Tinsley in the BBC’s mockumentary The Office.
Her character’s will-they-won’t-they romance with Martin Freeman’s office slacker Tim Canterbury contributed to the show’s global success, becoming the blueprint for similar relationships in international versions.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday (11 August), Davis said she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer a year and a half ago but it has since “metastasised to my bones, specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs”.
“The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo,” she continued. “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. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.
“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. 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..”
Davis also said that she sometimes needs to use a wheelchair as “standing and walking for too long a time can be hard” due to the pain.
“If you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!” she continued. “The thing that has been most vital to me is humour. I asked my friends and family to make fun of me as much as possible (which they’re really good at [eye-roll emoji]), and most importantly of all to not treat me like a sick person.
“There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell... I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it.”
Davis added that she’ll see her late dog Gracie “sooner than expected” and that leaving her “physical body just means going home”.
“Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me,” she continued. “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... 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... Much love to you all.”
Davis, who also appeared in 2017’s Wonder Woman, shared her diagnosis alongside a video of her ringing a hospital cancer treatment bell and reciting a rhyme common in many cancer treatment centres to celebrate the end of treatment.
Reading out the poem, she said: “Ring this bell three times well. It’s a toll to clearly say my treatments are done, the course is run, and I am on my way.”
The actor rose to fame in The Office, which ran from 2001 until 2003, before appearing in zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead a year later. She went on to star in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, comedy drama Better Things, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Disney’s The Villains of Valley View.
