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Pop Culture

'Princess Bride' star Mandy Patinkin shared a moving detail about the film with a grieving woman

Two souls connecting over the loss of their fathers. (Phew, grab a tissue for this one, folks.)

via Mandy Patinkin / TikTok

There was an emotional exchange on TikTok between two people who lost their fathers to cancer. One was actor Mandy Patinkin, the other was TikTok user Amanda Webb.

Patinkin currently stars on "The Good Fight" but one of his most famous roles is Inigo Montoya in the 1987 classic "The Princess Bride." In the film, Montoya is a swordsman who is obsessed with confronting a six-fingered man who killed his father.

Webb recently lost her father Dan to mantle cell lymphoma. She had heard a rumor that Patinkin used his father's death from cancer as motivation in a pivotal scene where he confronts the six-fingered Count Rugen (Christopher Guest) in a duel.

Rugen tells Montoya he will give him anything he wants after being bested by Montoya who passionately replies, "I want my father back, you son of a bitch."

@mandypatinktok @alaska_webb thank you for finding us and sharing this! ✨ Sending big love and light to you and yours. More in comments. #grieving #cancer #dads ♬ original sound - Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn G

Webb's father was a big fan of Montoya's performance in the film so she reached out to TikTok to learn if the rumor was true.

"I saw on the internet the rumor that when Mandy Patinkin said that line, he was thinking of his own father who had passed away from cancer," Webb said while crying. "And it was a very raw emotion. Ever since then, it's kind of really stuck with me."

Patinkin, who is a TikTok user, heard that the woman had reached out to him and he gave a heartfelt response.

"First of all, your dad is taking care of you," he said. "Secondly, it is true, 100% true. I went outside in this castle and walked around and I kept talking to my dad."

"The minute I read the script, I knew, I said to [his wife], I said, 'I'm going to do this part because in my mind, if I get the six-fingered guy, that means I killed the cancer that killed my dad and I'll get to visit my dad," he said.

"That moment was coming, and I went and I played that scene with Chris [Guest], and then I went back out there and talked to my dad," Patinkin said.

He then told Webb that she has the power to talk to her father, too.

"And so, you can talk to your dad anytime you want, anywhere you want," he said. "If you could somehow let me know your dad's name because I say prayers for anyone I've ever known. Now I feel like I know you, and therefore I know your dad, and I will list his name in my prayers every day, and they make me feel like they're with me, wherever I go, and I'd like your dad to hang out with me."

Webb responded with a video where she's so emotional she can hardly speak.

This story originally appeared on 08.25.21

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Family

Devastated father makes an unbelievable discovery while cleaning out his deceased daughter's room

The 3,000-word letter was written on the back of a mirror.

On May 28, 2014, 13-year-old Athena Orchard of Leicester, England, died of bone cancer. The disease began as a tumor in her head and eventually spread to her spine and left shoulder. After her passing, Athena's parents and six siblings were completely devastated. In the days following her death, her father, Dean, had the difficult task of going through her belongings. But the spirits of the entire Orchard family got a huge boost when he uncovered a secret message written by Athena on the backside of a full-length mirror.


After removing the mirror from the wall, Dean discovered a 3,000-word letter written all the way down its backside in black pen. "She never mentioned it, but it's the kind of thing she'd do," her father told People magazine. "She was a very spiritual person, she'd go on about stuff that I could never understand – she was so clever." The moving letter revealed her deepest feelings about her fight with the dreaded disease. "Every day is special, so make the most of it, you could get a life-ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day," she wrote. "Life is only bad if you make it bad."

via YouTube

Although Athena is gone, the mirror now serves as a powerful memory of her undying spirit. "We're keeping the mirror forever, it is a part of her we can keep in the house, it will always be in her room," her mother, Caroline, said. "Just reading her words felt like she was still here with us, she had such an incredible spirit."



Athena's full message:

"Happiness depends upon ourselves. Maybe it's not about the happy ending, maybe it's about the story. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. Happiness is a direction not a destination. Thank you for existing. Be happy, be free, believe, forever young. You know my name, not my story.

You have heard what I've done, but not what I've been through. Love is like glass, looks so lovely but it's easy to shatter.

Love is rare, life is strange, nothing lasts and people change. Every day is special, so make the most of it, you could get a life ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day. Life is only bad if you make it bad. If someone loves you, then they wouldn't let you slip away no matter how hard the situation is. Remember that life is full of ups and downs.

Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about. I want to be that girl who makes the bad days better and the one that makes you say my life has changed since I met her!

Love is not about how much you say I love you – it's about how much you can prove it's true. Love is like the wind, you can feel it but you can't see it. I'm waiting to fall in love with someone I can open my heart to. Love is not about who you can see spending your future with, it's about who you can't see spending your life without… Life is a game for everyone but love is the prize. Only I can judge me.

Sometimes love hurts. Now I'm fighting myself. Baby I can feel your pain. Dreams are my reality. It hurts but it's okay, I'm used to it. Don't be quick to judge me, you only see what I choose to show you… you don't know the truth. I just want to have fun and be happy without being judged.

This is my life, not yours, don't worry about what I do. People gonna hate you, rate you, break you, but how strong you stand, that's what makes you… you!

There's no need to cry because I know you'll be by my side."


This article originally appeared on 04.15.19

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Joy

Man's reaction to his wife of 63 years trying on a wig after chemo treatment says it all

Honesty and humor are what happy marriages are made of.

Representative image by Chino Rocha on Unsplash

Lasting relationships include a lot of shared joy.

Few couples make it to 60 years of marriage, as either divorce or death usually hit before that milestone. So it's a rare treat to get to see a couple who's been married that long interact with one another.

That's one reason a video shared by a woman named Jennifer (@jennjensc) on TikTok has so many people talking. The other reason is that it's a just hilariously delightful.

"My parents have been married 63 years. My mom was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. She’s doing chemo and radiation and smiling all she can!” Jennifer wrote in the caption.

In the video, Jennifer tells her dad, "Papa," that "Nana" is trying on her new wig. "So be encouraging," Jennifer says, to which he responds, "She's trying on wigs? That's good."

To his credit, he tried to be encouraging…which lasted about two seconds once he saw her. When Nana came through the doorway with a long, braided black wig parted down the middle, her husband said, "Well, look at that…" And then honesty hit, followed by peals of laughter.

Watch:

When you've been together with someone for over six decades, there's not a lot that you can hide from one another, and this entire interaction proof. The sheer honesty of "I don't believe I like that," and "You look like Willie Nelson!" are so real, and the fact that they busted out laughing together speaks to the power of humor in a lasting relationship.

"He was really ready in his heart to try and be encouraging 😂😂😂," wrote one commenter.

"They are the cutest! I love how he started “ohhh, look at that!” And then couldn’t even handle lying to her 😂😂😂," wrote another.

"He made her LAUGH, which is way better than lying ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️" shared another.

"I love this. You can tell there’s a lot of love with all the laughter," shared another.

And it doesn't end there. Nana took the Willie Nelson bit even further in a follow-up video that showcases just how much humor plays a role in their lives.

@jennjensc

Today nan finshed the halfway mark of chemo and radiation. She is feeling great. She so enjoys akl tge comments prayers and good vibes ! #nana #papa #willie #journey #chemo #radation #lungcancer #faith #laughter#love

Nana and Papa, who are 81 and 83 respectively, were high school sweethearts. They met at a roller rink, "and we've been going 'round together ever since," Nana said in another video. "Sometimes we've been goin' 'round and 'round," she added with a giggle. The two really are an adorable couple, and as people have shared in the comments, they're an inspiration for what a relationship can be even after over 60 years together.

The most common wedding vow includes the phrase "in sickness and in health," and the fact that these two are still having so many laughs together as Nana goes through radiation and chemotherapy exemplifies that phrase. They've been a team for almost their entire lives, and a cancer diagnosis isn't going to get in the way of that.

You can follow more of Nana's and Papa's love story on Jennifer's TIkTok here.

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Pop Culture

Olivia Munn’s aggressive breast cancer and double mastectomy is a wakeup call to all women

She’d had a clean mammogram and tested negative for cancer genes just months before she was diagnosed.

Nicole Alexander/Wikimedia Commons

Olivia Munn at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards

Actor Olivia Munn has announced that she's been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and has undergone a double mastectomy, and her story is one all women need to read.

The 43-year-old, who has a 2-year-old son with comedian John Mulaney, shared her experience with photos, video and a written statement shared on Instagram.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer," she wrote in the post caption. "I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey."

Munn shared that she had taken a genetic test in February of 2023 in an effort to be proactive about her health and was relieved to find that she tested negative for all 90 cancer genes the test checked for, including the BRCA breast cancer gene. In the few months prior, she'd had a clear mammogram, so there wasn't any indication that anything was wrong.

"Two months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer," she wrote.

She explained that her OB-GYN had decided to calculate her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, which takes into account age, lifestyle, family history, how old you were when you had your first child, and other factors that can impact your likelihood of having breast cancer.

When Munn's score came back with a 37% chance of having cancer, she was sent to get an MRI, which led to a biopsy, which found Luminal B cancer in both breasts.

"Luminal B is an aggressive, fast-moving cancer," Munn wrote. "30 days after that biopsy I had a double mastectomy. I went from feeling completely fine one day, to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next."

Munn said she's lucky because they caught it in time for her to have options. "I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day. Ask your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score." Her doctor says if the score is higher than 20%, you should have an annual mammogram and MRI starting at age 30.

According to CNN, there are two models commonly used as breast cancer risk assessment tools: the Gail Model and the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator. Both have online versions that allow you to calculate your score for free, (though you should always consult your doctor with any concerns you might have). Munn wrote that she wouldn't have found her cancer for another year at her next mammogram if it weren't for her doctor calculating her risk score.

She also shared more of what followed her unexpected diagnosis:

"In the past ten months I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I ever could have imagined. Surprisingly, I've only cried twice. I guess I haven't felt like there was time to cry. My focus narrowed and I tabled any emotions that I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clearheaded.

I've tended to let people see me when I have energy, when I can get dressed and get out of the house, when I can take my baby boy to the park. I've kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private. I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing."

Finally, she thanked all of her loved ones who have loved her through her breast cancer journey, including John Mulaney, who researched all of her medical procedures and made sure their son's framed photo was the first thing she saw when she woke up. She also thanked the medical team who has been caring for her, from her OB-GYN to her oncologist to the nurses and hospital support staff.

Munn sharing her story could help other women who may not know their risk or who may be complacent about breast cancer screenings to take a proactive approach.

To learn more about breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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