Dolph Lundgren Says He Planned His Own Funeral During Brutal Cancer Battle: 'That Was Tough'

Dolph Lundgren is opening up about the darkest chapter of his life.

The Rocky IV actor, 68, reveals in his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, that he began preparing for his own death during his nearly decade-long cancer battle, right down to planning his funeral.

"I had a lot of difficult conversations with myself," Lundgren said in an interview. "I definitely had a few tough ones. Of course, as most older men do, you do estate planning. You plan your will and who's going to get what. But in this case, it was around the corner. It was something I had to plan a little more in detail, like funerals and trying to figure out where I would be, what would be better for my family. Planning your own funeral is kind of a saying, but I literally was doing that. That was tough."

"At some point, which was even harder, I started thinking, 'Do I really want to be in bed weighing 60 pounds and having people come and see me like that? Or should I just end it myself?'" Lundgren added. "I started considering that. I spoke to my brother. We made a deal, and he would help me out if it came to that, if I made that decision. But it was a tough conversation."

Lundgren was first diagnosed in 2015 after doctors found a tumor in his kidney. He had it removed and kept working, but in 2020, doctors discovered the cancer had returned and spread to his liver, lungs, spine and kidney.

A turning point came when he sought a second opinion from UCLA oncologist Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, who determined his cancer had been misdiagnosed. His tumor carried a mutation more typical of lung cancer, which explained why his earlier treatments hadn't been working.

Through it all, Sylvester Stallone, his costar and friend of 40 years across six films, was reportedly one of the first people to reach out when Lundgren's diagnosis became public, an act Lundgren said deepened their bond.

"When I got sick, he reached out to me," Lundgren said. "It was unexpected because he was the first one, actually, who reached out of everybody, even before some of my family, when it came out. And he was very emotional about it. It touched me. And that was another side of him that I'd never seen. Since then, we've been very close friends, even closer than before."

In November 2024, Lundgren announced he is cancer-free.

In the memoir, he also reflects on his past use of anabolic steroids while prepping for action roles in the '80s and '90s. While he says there's no proof they caused his cancer, he admits he can't rule it out.

"I wanted to be candid about my past and what I've been through," Lundgren explained. "And I think nobody knows what steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs do to us. The data is not conclusive. And I always thought it could not help me in my medical situation. I wanted to express a caution to people, to other young men, who may decide to try it, that it's not without risk."