'Evil Dead II' star Danny Hicks diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, says he has one to three years left to live
Horror and slasher film actor and longtime collaborator with filmmaker Sam Raimi, Danny Hicks, who played Jake in ‘Evil Dead II’, revealed that he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. On Friday, June 5, Hicks announced on his Facebook page that he has approximately three years to live.
He wrote, “To all of the people that I never got to meet, and the 6,018 diehard fans that enjoyed my work. I have some bad news. I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I have approximately one to three years to live. But I gotta tell ya, I sure as hell packed a whole bunch of living into my 68 years. I got no change coming back that’s for sure. And not too many regrets. Ok, gotta go. I’m gonna find out just what in the hell is going on down in that fruit cellar.”
The fruit cellar is a reference to the classic horror franchise ‘Evil Dead’. In the films, the cellar has a trap door leading down some wooden steps into the main room. Then, there is a secondary room housing the hot-water heater. Henrietta Knowby (Lou Hancock) gets trapped there in ‘Evil Dead II’, and later kills Jake while inside.
To help pay for Hicks’ medical bills, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by Dominic Mancini, Hicks’ friend and agent. Mancini, speaking to Bloody Disgusting, said: “Danny is not one to ask for charity, but with that, he brings yet another opportunity to his fans. His days of traveling to conventions are in the past, but he has agreed to partake in one last autograph signing for those fans who never got the chance to get one in person.”
“Whether you need him on a cast piece that you have, or want a signed 8×10 photo, we have your back! Full Empire Promotions will be putting up an online store, where 100 percent of the proceeds will go to help Danny with his medical expenses,” Mancini further said. “The store will have the option to buy a signed photo or send in your own item to be signed.”
Actor Bruce Campbell, co-actor of Hicks in 'Evil Dead II' and other Raimi films, shared the GoFundMe campaign on his Twitter account stating, "Sometimes, we need a little help." Others on Twitter shared Hicks' photos they had purchased to support him.
Many also spoke about their experiences of meeting and knowing Hicks while sharing the campaign link. A Twitter user wrote, "If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Danny Hicks in person, or just chatting online back and forth like I have. You’ll know he’s one of the kindest in the genre. I guess that’s why this hurts. As a community, we grow very close to our icons. We love them."
At the time of writing this, the GoFundMe campaign had managed to raise $4,720. The target was $4,000.
Hicks has been part of several horror-comedies and slashers. His more famous roles include ‘Maniac Cop’, ‘Intruder’, ‘Darkman’, ‘The Demolitionist’, and ‘Wishmaster’, aside from ‘Evil Dead II’. Hicks even appeared as a cameo in Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 2’.