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Seinfeld's Michael Richards reveals prostate cancer battle. The 74-year-old actor revealed in his upcoming memoir Entrances and Exits that he was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer after a routine check-up. In the lead-up to the autobiography's 4 June release, Richards opened up about his reaction to the news to People. "I thought, well, this is my time. I'm ready to go." "But then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying, 'I've got a nine-year-old and I'd like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?'". Richards, who shares his young son Antonio with his wife Beth Skipp, was advised to undergo surgery to remove the entire prostate. "It had to be contained quickly… I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months.", The experience partly inspired Richards, who played Cosmo Kramer in the TV sitcom Seinfeld, to write his book. "I had over 40 journals I'd kept over the years and wanted to do a full review of my life… I'm turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age." , Michael Richards, People. "I wanted to connect with feelings and memory. I'm surprised at how much I was able to remember.". Richards starred in Seinfeld alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in between 1989 and 1998. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT