“My name is Daniel Stolfi, I’m six feet tall, from Toronto and I’m fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Wait, this isn’t a self-tape?”

I’m a film and television actor, comedian, writer and independent producer from Toronto. I’ve been acting professionally for over 15 years and have been making people laugh ever since I can remember… well, trying at least.

In early March of 2008 I had become ill with a pain in my chest and chronic cough that I thought was just a cold or maybe the flu… or, at worst, pneumonia. I was 25 years old, “the prime of my life.”

I was performing comedy all over the city, acting in TV and film. Producers and directors were approaching me for roles, my sketch comedy troupe had just shot an episode for a half-hour television special, I was prepping for a solo show for the Toronto Fringe Festival and I was about to sign with a big talent agency. Now was not the time to get sick. But life is funny.

A CT scan eventually revealed a grapefruit-sized tumour sitting on top of my heart. After a biopsy, it was confirmed that I had cancer — a cancer with a long and complicated name; a name that took me months to memorize and say correctly.

Now, I say it with such ease it’s eerie. Stage III Acute non-Hodgkin T-lymphoblastic Lymphoma. It’s a rare form of cancer for a 25-year-old, but highly treatable, albeit with one of the longest and most grueling chemotherapy protocols in existence.

I would spend the next two years of my life receiving 104 rounds of chemotherapy with a combination of pills, spinal taps, brain radiation, blood transfusions and over 40 harrowing nights in the critical care unit at Sunnybrook Hospital.

“My dream of being an actor is officially over,” I remember thinking.

But instead of giving up on my dream, I decided to write a live stage show about it. If I lived to perform it, that would be gravy. (I wasn’t exactly “camera ready,” so the stage was a better place to start.)

The show was called Cancer Can’t Dance Like This and it premiered at the Second City in Toronto on May 29, 2009, while I was only 14 months into my 24-month-treatment protocol. For the first time in 14 months, I didn’t feel sick. The stage gave me energy. I felt cancer-free. I felt alive.

With my team, we produced the show at over 30 different venues across Canada, winning the Canadian Comedy Award for Best One-Person Show and raising $100,000.00 for cancer-related charities and organizations.

Post-treatment, stepping back into the television and film industry came with its own unique challenges. Physically, I was not the same person that I was in my headshots just two years prior. It took me close to a year to fully recover the attributes that cancer had ripped away from me. My hair hadn’t fully grown back, the swelling in my face hadn’t fully come down and my body was still frail.

I had many awkward moments on set, sitting in the makeup chair, being asked why my skin was so pale and soft or my hair so thin. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I was recovering from two years of chemotherapy treatment. I remember beginning the search for an agent again and coming up against a number of “nos.”

It felt like no one wanted to take a chance on “the guy with cancer” until I met with an agent, Patrick Yang at Oldfield, who gave me permission to believe in myself again as a screen actor. When we met for the first time he looked at my old headshot, then looked at me, a shell of my former self and said, “Don’t worry, you can get new headshots whenever you’re ready. I’m going to start getting you out there either way.”

This gave me hope. It gave me strength. It allowed me to believe in myself again. My agents and the industry as a whole were supportive and patient throughout that time, as I was still having monthly and yearly follow-up appointments with my doctors. I needed time and space to heal while I found my way back into the industry.

I think it’s important for producers, casting directors and agents to continue to provide support and opportunities to those who are facing some of life’s challenges that aren’t always as easy to see as well. I think it starts with communication. It can make a world of difference.

Agents can help their clients stay plugged into the industry by reaching out to casting directors, who can then reach out to production to build awareness before judgments are made about an artist’s inability to meet some of our industries expectations. Sometimes, an actor may be dealing with life events that don’t allow them to meet those expectations and communication can help bridge that gap.

A cancer diagnosis or any critical illness diagnosis can be financially difficult for actors as well. Unions provide critical illness insurance but at the time I was diagnosed, I was still a non-union actor.

There are government support systems out there, and the Actors Fund of Canada (AFC) is also a great resource for Canadian entertainment professionals to maintain their health, dignity and ability to work by providing financial aid and other crucial support services.

I also found a great deal of emotional and mental support through Young Adult Cancer Canada, (YACC) a charitable organization that helps young adult cancer survivors between 18-39 connect with other survivors who “get it.”

I believe getting these resources and resources like these in the hands of industry professionals can be life-changing. It all begins with communication, acceptance, inclusion and understanding an artist’s needs.

I am a full union member acting for TV and film regularly again and feel supported and safe in this industry. I’ve been fortunate enough to write and produce a number of short films, act with some amazing talent in front of the camera and I am currently represented by an incredibly supportive agent and agency — Emily Klama at the Art Agency. Patrick and I are still friends, don’t worry.

I recently published a memoir, which chronicles my cancer journey: The Comedian vs Cancer – The Show Must Go On. I hope my book can bring awareness and perspective to what it truly is like to go through cancer while navigating, career, friends, family and love along the way. Maybe one day I’ll turn the book into a feature! I already wrote the script… anyone interested?

I am forever grateful to our industry for welcoming me back all those years ago and am hopeful that they continue to support artists with stories like mine. This is my happy place.

Daniel Stolfi has performed on stages around North America and can be seen in TV shows and films including Frankie Drake Mysteries, Orphan Black and Suits. A portion of proceeds from The Comedian vs Cancer – The Show Must Go On will be donated to Young Adult Cancer Canada. 

Photo credit: Kristina Ruddick