Inside Timothy Spall's battle with cancer after he was given three days to live

At the age of 39, Timothy's life took an unexpected turn as he had to prioritise his health over his film promotion. He was due to fly to Cannes Film Festival for promotion of his film Secrets and Lies (1996).

In an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Timothy, 66, shared the emotional memory, saying: "I was diagnosed with Leukaemia the day I was supposed to go to Cannes, and when I saw everyone coming down the red carpet, I was having my first chemo stuck directly to my heart while watching all of this unfold."

While his film Secrets & Lies garnered accolades at the festival, Timothy found himself battling for his life. Despite the dire circumstances, he managed to maintain a sense of humour, remarking: "It was nice because they were winning prizes while I was sort of doing an impersonation of not trying to peg it, which I valiantly managed to achieve."

The experience of facing mortality brought a sense of profundity to Timothy's life, but he admitted he soon grew tired of it.

Reflecting on his mindset during that time, Timothy, who stars in BBC drama The Sixth Commandment, said: “When you’re in a state of not knowing whether you’re going to live or die or not, you’re in a state of profundity. So I remember going out to the park in between treatments and looking at a tree and for the first time really thinking what an amazing thing it was.

“And for about 10 minutes I thought that is a really nice tree. And then after a while I did it again and after a while I thought, ‘you know, this profundity thing is a bit over-rated’.”

As Timothy's health improved, he noticed a shift in his behaviour. He realised his recovery was marked by being "petty" and engaging in everyday trivialities.

He said: "So when I got better and started being petty and snapping at the people I loved and shouting at people in traffic jams and being ridiculous, funny, and scatological, I knew I was getting better. Because when you're dying, you tend to be profound. So never fear being a petty fool. It means you ain't dying."

Acute myeloid Leukaemia, the type Timothy was diagnosed with, is a rapidly progressing form of cancer that requires immediate treatment. Symptoms include fatigue, frequent infections, unusual bruising or bleeding, and pale appearance.

Timothy recalled the early signs of the disease, such as extreme tiredness and unexplained bruises appearing on his body. He also discovered purple and red patches inside his mouth, which prompted him to seek medical attention.

Despite his initial fears about the impact on his career, Timothy received reassurance from his doctor that advancements in medical treatments offered hope. He underwent two courses of chemotherapy, and within three months, he received the incredible news that he was in remission and cancer-free.

Now Timothy is portraying Peter Farquhar in a dramatic adaption of the true story of the teacher's murder.

The Sixth Commandment continues on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday, July 18.

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