Lucy Davis, who played Dawn Tinsley on the British version of “The Office” and had a starring role in “Shaun of the Dead,” said Tuesday she has breast cancer that has spread to her bones and is not treatable.
“The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo,” Davis, 53, said on Instagram.
She said that around 18 months ago she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, which has metastasized to her spine, right hip and ribs.
“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,” she wrote.
“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,” she added.
Davis played Tinsley, a receptionist, in the British version of “The Office,” which ran from 2001 to late 2003 and preceded the American version.
She also played Dianne, one of a group of people trying to survive a zombie outbreak in London in the 2004 film “Shaun of the Dead,” and Etta Candy in the 2017 film “Wonder Woman.”
She played Hilda Spellman, a witch, on the Netflix show “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” which ran from 2018 to 2020.
Davis said her first inkling of something wrong was so small that she almost dismissed it.
“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,” Davis wrote in the Instagram post.
“So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything — get everything checked out:),” she wrote.
She wrote that pain from the cancer will cause her to be in a wheelchair at times and joked, “so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!”
“The thing that has been most vital to me is humour,” Davis wrote. She said she has asked that people not treat her as a sick person.
“There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell,” Davis wrote.
Davis also wrote that “I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it” and that “for me, leaving my physical body just means going home.”
“Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me,” she wrote.
Davis also said she plans to continue working if able, writing that “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,” she wrote.
“Much love to you all,” she signed off, adding a heart emoji.
