House Of The Dragon star Sir Simon Russell Beale, 65, reveals his latest hospital scan showed 'nothing left' of the colon cancer he was diagnosed with last year

House Of The Dragon star Sir Simon Russell Beale has revealed his latest hospital scan showed 'nothing left' of the colon cancer he was diagnosed with last year.The celebrated actor, 65, who played Ser Simon Strong in the Game Of Thrones spin-off, has spent the last few months undergoing intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, for the disease.Sharing an update on his health this week, Simon told the WhatsOnStage podcast: 'The latest scan said there's nothing left [of the cancer] at the moment, but I'm sure that probably won't be the end of the story.'I've got a stoma bag, which I find irritating, but hopefully that'll be reversed.'A stoma bag is a pouch worn outside the body to collect waste from the bowel through an opening in the abdomen.Simon revealed his cancer diagnosis in April, having been rushed to hospital in 2025 after completing filming for House of the Dragon.He said he was 'heartbroken' when he had to pull out of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Titus Andronicus at London's Hampstead Theatre the previous September, with his departure initially attributed to 'ill health'. House Of The Dragon star Sir Simon Russell Beale has revealed his latest hospital scan showed 'nothing left' of the colon cancer he was diagnosed with last year (seen in the show as Ser Simon Strong)The actor has now revealed that his condition was considerably more serious than he realised when doctors first discovered the disease.'At the beginning, I was very ill, apparently, and I didn't know,' he explained. 'I had a blockage in my vein in my gut, which is how they found the cancer.'Simon, who comes from a family of medical professionals and is believed to be single, recalled: 'All my medical siblings suddenly arriving at my bedside was always a bit of a sign that things might be a bit more serious.'My family were very good. They were obviously very worried, I found out later. And with reason. But again, they didn't tell me.'The double-BAFTA winner explained that he had been reluctant to dwell on the worst possible outcome after receiving his diagnosis.'I didn't sit there thinking, oh my god, this is the end at all,' he said. 'I just sort of thought, I don't know, I thought they'll deal with it. It's a very odd feeling.'He also revealed that his sister, a GP, had intervened after one of his consultants expressed concern that he appeared unwilling to hear certain details about his illness.The actor admitted that he had preferred not to ask for more medical information than he needed to get through his treatment.In June, Simon revealed that he had briefly confronted the possibility of dying, asking a consultant directly whether he was going to survive.He told The Telegraph that the doctor had dismissed his fears and reassured him that his cancer could be cured.Now, despite the seriousness of his diagnosis, Simon admitted that what had upset him most was being forced to abandon his acclaimed Shakespeare production.He said: 'What I was devastated by was having to drop out of Titus, which is always heartbreaking. And it was a very, very good production. And I was very proud of it. And that felt rotten.'His friend and fellow actor John Hodgkinson stepped into the title role at extremely short notice, allowing the production to continue.Simon also reflected on the effects of chemotherapy, revealing that he had been fortunate to avoid many of the more debilitating side effects. The 65-year-old actor is known for roles in films such as My Week with Marilyn, Mary Queen of Scots and The Death of Stalin'As anybody who's had this disease will tell you, it's a long haul of chemo or whatever. It was chemo in my case,' he said. 'But again, I was very lucky.'He explained that his treatment followed a fortnightly cycle, leaving him feeling unwell for only a couple of days at a time.'I'd have a couple of days where I felt lousy, but that was it. My head was fine.'In August, the actor told The Times he felt 'fine' and 'normal' as he approached what he hoped would be his ninth and final month of chemotherapy.He has since returned to the stage, having initially eased himself back into performing by narrating a puppet production of Shakespeare's Venus And Adonis while still receiving treatment.Simon said the role, directed by Greg Doran, was particularly well suited to his recovery because it allowed him to remain seated throughout the performance.'This is the perfect way back in because it's, I'm sitting down,' he recalled telling Greg.He is now playing flamboyant American entertainer Liberace in I'll Be Seeing You at Scotland's Pitlochry Festival Theatre, directed by Alan Cumming and Ben Occhipinti.It marks a significant step in his return to physically demanding theatre work following his illness.'This is the first time I've had to do anything more physical,' he said. 'So we'll see. We'll see.'