Fans and fellow actors alike have rallied to help Home Alone actor Ken Hudson Campbell as he undergoes cancer treatment.
Campbell is etched in the hearts and minds of movie fans for his brief but memorable scene in the festive classic, Home Alone.
He plays a disgruntled yet kind Santa Claus who shares a moment with Macauley Culkin’s iconic character, Kevin McCallister.
He offers Culkin’s character a tic-tac in lieu of the candy canes that his chief-Elf had taken home to her boyfriend.
He also has to deal with a parking ticket and engine failure, all while he is late for a “little get-together.”
A GoFundMe campaign was started by his daughter Michaela Campbell after he was diagnosed with cancer on 27th October.
She told People Magazine that he “burst into tears” when the outpouring of support began.
“It was the first time he really got emotional about the whole situation. It was kind of a shock to him to feel so loved,” she said.
Hollywood A-lister Steve Carell donated $10,000 to the fund, while Jeff Garlin, Tim Meadows and Bill Prady, co-creator of TV’s The Big Bang Theory, also donated.
Campbell also appeared in comedy classic Groundhog Day and as one of Bruce Willis’ planet-saving oil riggers in the 90s sci-fi yarn, Armageddon.
His daughter explained on GoFundMe that a tumour had grown on the bottom of his mouth which was “encroaching on his teeth.”
A surgery on 7th December to remove the tumour and reconstruct his jaw using bone from his leg was successful.
Campbell must now undergo radiotherapy and possibly chemotherapy, after a six-month recovery period.
“In January of 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ken lost the SAG-AFTRA health insurance that he had used for his whole career,” Ms Campbell said.
She said that while he has new insurance and his various rehab therapies are covered, “we are anticipating huge out-of-pocket costs.”
The fundraiser to cover costs for medical equipment, carers and dental implants, has already surpassed its $100,000 target.
“My family’s been struggling for a long time financially. So just having my dad’s friends come together, this is just very overwhelming and it really takes a lot of stress off of my family’s shoulders,” she said.
