Edward James Olmos Reveals His Throat Cancer Diagnosis: 'It's a Very Strong Disease'

Edward James Olmos is speaking publicly for the first time about his throatcancerdiagnosis. The actor, 76, chatted with Mando Fresko on theMando & Friendspodcast this week, where he said, “This would be the first time publicly I’ll be coming out and saying it, but I had throat cancer.” Detailing that his last round of radiation took place late last year, Olmos continued, “I just finished getting through it. December 20 was my last radiation.

Edward Karam

Title:Former Arts WriterEducation:University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Michigan, Trinity College-Hartford Title:Former Arts Writer Education:University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Michigan, Trinity College-Hartford Edward Karam is a former arts writer at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2005.Before joining PEOPLE in 1998, Edward was a news editor atStars and Stripesfrom 1992 to 1994 and an editor/writer atOakland Tribunefrom 1983 to 1989. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a master’s in fine arts in drama criticism from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s in English from Trinity College-Hartford.

Edward Norton and Wife Shauna Robertson Channel David and Victoria Beckham for Halloween — Tattoos and All!

Edward Norton and wife Shauna Robertson dress up as David and Victoria Beckham for Casamigos' annual Halloween party.Photo:Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Edward Nortonand Shauna Robertson channeled another famous couple this Halloween —VictoriaandDavid Beckham, or Posh and Becks, if you will. On Friday night, theAsteroid Citystar and his wife, a Canadian film producer, attendedCindy CrawfordandRande Gerber’s Casamigos party dressed up as the soccer superstar and the former Spice Girl respectively. Norton, 54, knocked it out of the park with his interpretation of David, wearing a red Manchester United jersey, black skinny jeans and sneakers.

Edward Norton Learns Pocahontas Is His 12th Great Grandmother — Actor's Family Lore Is 'Absolutely True'

Photo: Three Lions/Getty, Pablo Cuadra/WireImageEdward Norton’s family roots go back further than he imagined.On Tuesday’s season premiere of the PBS programFinding Your Roots, Norton, 53, appeared with hostHenry Louis Gates Jr.to dive into his family’s ancestry and discovered that the 17th century Powhatan woman Pocahontas is his 12th great grandmother.In the episode, host Gates Jr. revealed that Norton’s ancestry — which includes a Civil War soldier who wrote to Abraham Lincoln and a late 19th century pro-union labor activist — can be traced directly back to the earliest days of colonial America in Virginia, when Pocahontas married English settler John Rolfe in 1614.

Edward Norton Says Janeane Garofalo Is 'Mistaken' for Thinking He Cost Her a 'Fight Club' Role

Edward Nortonis denyingJaneane Garofalo‘s allegations that he cost the actress a role inFight Club.Garofalo, 55, alleged during an appearance onYahoo’s Build Serieslast week that she “was inFight Clubuntil I just wasn’t,” adding she believed it was due to Norton wanting to cast his then-girlfriend Courtney Love in the David Fincher-directed film.The actress said she was in talks to star as Marla Singer, which eventually went toHelena Bonham Carter.Norton responded to her claims in a statement toCNN, saying, “I’m sorry Janeane is under that impression, but if she was serious, she’s really mistaken.