In honor of Father’s Day, Moshe Kasher revealed he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer. The comedian and writer shared a series of slides of Instagram detailing his experience, including a recent surgery.
Kasher explained that he discovered the cancer while working on the Judd Apatow–Glen Powell project The Comeback King in Savannah three months earlier. “I found a bump on my tonsil,” he wrote. “It was cancer, which did not rule so hard.”
Last week, Kasher underwent surgery at Cedars Sinai, which involved “a Jewish robot” yanking “my jaw open for five hours.” “This has been the most terrifying and consciousness consuming experience of my life,” he wrote. “My life has been terror, meditation, tears, and medical planning (oh and 12 hour days on set pitching jokes).”
He added, “I truly cannot believe I managed to work an entire movie while dealing with this, but Judd could not have been a more kind, supportive, and nurturing friend all while on the verge of a five hour energy overdose from his terrifying habit.”
Kasher noted that “the good news is the cancer I have has an incredibly high cure rate (in the 95% zone).” He is waiting to find out if he needs radiation treatment, but said “regardless I will be okay and back to being a cool dude ASAP.”
He continued, “The other bit of good news is that this is cancer you get from sex. So it’s cool that now you know I’ve officially had that. … The bad news is HPV positive tonsil cancer is an epidemic in men under 55. Get checked and vaccinate your damn kids! Work out your RFK anxieties on the measles if you must. Trust me. You do not want your kids to go through this.”
Kasher isn’t sure when he will return to live comedy performances, but explained that he and his wife Natasha Leggero recorded a new episode of their podcast, The Endless Honeymoon, ahead of his surgery.
“Thanks to Natasha and all of my wonderful friends who have been so supportive,” Kasher concluded. “I woke up on that operating table so flooded with emotions and gratitude for my life and the gift of consciousness. I can’t wait to go back to work. but for now – I breathe. I walk. I eat. I survive. I live.”
Kasher has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Whitney, Shameless, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Pitt, on which he played an ASL translator. He’s regularly performed stand-up live, as well as on late-night shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
