Published Jan 7, 2026

How Cancer Survivor Jeff Bridges, 75, Sparked His Beloved Wife Susan’s Creativity Through Photography

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Jeff Bridges' Journey With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Jeff Bridges, a 75-year-old actor and non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, shares a deep creative bond with his wife, photographer Susan Geston, whose work on the 1980’s film “Heaven’s Gate” is being featured at the Tamsen Gallery in Santa Barbara, California.
Geston has shared how Bridges introduced her to photography, leading them to develop a mutual creative outlet through their shared passion and work in the darkroom.
Bridges faced a lymphoma diagnosis in 2020 — and about a year later, in September 2021, was declared in remission. During that time, he endured a lengthy hospital stay while fighting Covid-19 as cancer treatment had weakened his immunity.
He had chemotherapy to treat his disease. Other lymphoma treatments include active surveillance, radiation, and bone marrow transplant. The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common, and you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
Creating and listening to music, or engaging in any other form of art or creation, can be a powerful tool when coping with cancer or other health struggles.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and beloved actor Jeff Bridges—a 75-year-old dad of three who is fondly remembered as “The Dude” from the 1998 cult comedy “The Big Lebowski”—has remarkably inspired his wife’s creativity through his love of photography and art.

Ahead of a special screening of the 1980 classic “Heaven’s Gate” at the historic Arlington Theatre earlier this month, Rabbit’s Foot creative director Fatima Khan spoke with Bridges and his wife, who shared their deep appreciation for the Western film and described photography as a creative constant that has shaped their lives.

Before the special director’s cut restoration of “Heaven’s Gate” was screened on November 15th, Bridges’ wife Susan Geston, 72, discussed with Khan how their creative worlds have influenced and inspired one another over the years.

Geston, who worked as a special still photographer on the feature film, explained, “Jeff put his Nikon camera in my hands and showed me how to use it. Photography was something we shared and enjoyed doing together. We are both visual people with different perspectives.

“I went to photography school and learned how the camera worked and found my vision through the lens. I learned how to read negatives and proof sheets and what a good print looks like. Jeff and I worked together in our dark room and found a mutual creative outlet.”

She continued, “We traveled and worked together on many projects. When he was working, I would take my camera and explore. We admire many of the same photographers, including [French photographers] Lartigue [Jacques Henri Lartigue] and Atget [Eugène Atget], but have different perspectives and artistic visions.

“Mine included learning the art of hand tinting black and white photographs and his mastering the Widelux camera [a panoramic film camera both Geston and Bridges have been working to revive].”

When asked if there was a specific photograph from “Heaven’s Gate” or any other moment in their life together that now feels especially meaningful, Geston said, “Jeff and I have shared many chapters together and we have decades of photographs. I can’t possibly think of just one image that reveals our life together.

“There is an image that speaks to me, however. I call this Widelux shot the Ghost Walkers. It captures the immigrants leaving the roller rink, named Heaven’s Gate. Many of the actors are departing from the rear of the tent, but a few seem to float towards us and out of the frame. It makes me think of the immigrants, many who were lost, but some survived and settled this country.”

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Geston, whose photographs are being featured in Tamsen Gallery in Santa Barbara, California until December 31, 2025, was allowed access in 1979 to photograph the making of the movie “Heaven’s Gate.”

The gallery opening comes as Bridges recently announced the first prototype of the Widelux panoramic film camera on Instagram.

According to Wideluxx, “The 2025 WIDELUX•X camera combines its iconic rotating lens with modern technology, delivering stunning panoramic images with vintage charm and contemporary durability.

“It offers a unique photographic experience, appealing to both enthusiasts and professionals seeking high-quality, retro-inspired tools.”

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Bridges has also expressed his ongoing passionate about photography and filmmaking, which arose in his teenage years.

He explains on his website, “I started taking pictures in high school. I set up a darkroom and would lose track of time, developing and printing for hours and hours, listening to FM radio in the red ‘safe light’. I must say, I never really enjoyed developing negatives. It’s probably the most important part of the whole process, but what I loved was the printing – watching those images come out of the ‘soup.’

“Seeing that proof sheet of those pictures I’d taken weeks before and forgotten all about – that’s what I loved. To this day, looking at a proof sheet for the first time is like opening a Christmas present I’ve given to myself. What a great surprise – to see what the camera saw; what worked and what didn’t; to feel the moment of the picture all over again.”

Art Through Cancer

As an established actor, Jeff Bridges understands the healing power of art intimately, as does his loving wife Susan Geston, who has been immersed in the photography world.

It’s important to understand that alongside treatment or after beating cancer some people may turn to various artistic outlets (i.e. singing, dancing, painting, crafting) to help them cope with their cancer journey.

Some people also use art to handle feelings of grief after suffering a cancer-related loss. Whenever and however you turn to art, its healing benefits in terms of mental health are well-documented and substantiated.

In fact, Very Well Mind reports that a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association says that less than an hour of creative activity can reduce stress and have a positive effect on your mental health. And that’s true regardless of artistic experience or talent, the author notes.

Meanwhile, Marianne Cuozzo, a three-time cancer survivor, can also attest to the power of art. And despite the fact that cancer has essentially been her whole life, Cuozzo has recognized herself as a lot more than a diagnosis by focusing on her life as a mother and an artist.

Three-Time Cancer survivor Marianna Cuozzo On How Art Helps Her Express Herself

Cuozzo was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994 at the age of 28. In 1997, she had a recurrence, and then she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She had a double mastectomy and originally got implants with reconstruction.

But after years of infections, she decided to remove her implants and “go flat.” Her artwork reflects a deeply personal exploration of body image and sexuality. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Cuozzo tells us how she found comfort expressing herself through her work.

“My artwork is very reflective of my cancer journey,” Cuozzo says. “I’m doing the best I can to feel beautiful in this new body.”

Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis

Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle

Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.

While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.

According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.

He dubbed his wife as being his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.

He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.

Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life.

“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire in an earlier interview. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”

“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”

Understanding Lymphoma

Jeff Bridge’s battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, one of the two most common types of lymphoma.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.

Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis

“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.

“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she added, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”

Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.

There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55, like Jeff Bridges. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.

It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.

These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.

Do What You Love During & After Cancer

During cancer treatment, and also after, it can be hard to focus on anything except your treatment or the challenges that follow a cancer battle. However, Bridges is a wonderful example that it’s important to take a moment and focus on something that makes you genuinely happy.

Experts recommend you try to take some time out of your day a few times a week and really enjoy those special pockets of joy.

“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, previously told SurvivorNet.

“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”

Dr. Dana Chase Encourages Those Facing Cancer to Find Moments of Joy During Treatment