Lucy Davis issued a powerful message to fans on Saturday as she made her first public appearance since revealing she has incurable cancer.
The Office star, 53, revealed this month that she’s been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, and she ‘doesn’t know how long she has left’.
Yet Lucy put on a brave face on Saturday as she attended the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention at London’s ExCeL, where she reunited with her Shaun Of The Dead co-star Simon Pegg and the film’s director Edgar Wright.
During her appearance, Lucy called her fans her ‘second family’, as she shared a poignant message about never giving up.
She told the crowd: ‘It’s like this whole second family you never knew you had. Everyone is like a community, friendly, supportive of us, but you guys and each other. So I’m quite hopeful about that, to be honest.
‘We need a bit more niceness in the world, and we get it here. So I’m grateful for you guys.’
Lucy Davis issued a powerful message to fans on Saturday as she made her first public appearance since revealing she has incurable cancer
Lucy put on a brave face at the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention at London’s ExCeL, where she discussed Shaun Of The Dead, the film she starred in more than 20 year ago
During her appearance, Lucy called her fans her ‘second family’ as she shared a poignant message about never giving up
When asked what advice she would give to someone trying to break into the film industry, she shared: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do or be anything that you want to do or be.
‘We all grow up just with lies from the world telling us that we all have limitations, and none of us do.
‘Our only limitations are the things that we think are limiting us. You can do anything and be anybody, and don’t apologise for it.’
Lucy was on the panel because of her great work playing aspiring actress Dianne in the 2004 comedy horror Shaun Of The Dead, which followed a group of friends trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Her favourite memories of filming, she said, were ‘when we all pretended to be zombies and walked across the square; it was like being naughty schoolkids’.
She added: ‘It was a fun time, we went a bit mad.’
Lucy’s appearance came just 11 days after she announced her incurable cancer diagnosis.
In an Instagram post last week, Lucy penned that she had ‘zero idea’ that her announcement would receive ‘the attention it did’, and said she’s still reading through the messages she’s received.
She wrote: ‘OK, so the last two days have been utterly overwhelming, in that I had ZERO idea my cancer post would have the attention it did.
‘Truly, I am in shock. That said…. THANK YOU to everyone for the tremendous amount of kindness and support you have sent me.
‘Good grief it was emotional! I am trying to go thru all the comments on my post – and I’ll get there! Just give me a bit of time:)
‘Also, to the couple of people who slightly misread the news and commented R.I.P., you’ll be delighted to know I am still alive – hurrah!’
Lucy (right) in comedy horror Shaun Of The Dead with co-stars, from left, Dylan Moran, Kate Ashfield and Simon Pegg
Lucy with, from left, Mackenzie Crook, Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman in the BBC mockumentary The Office
Lucy shared the post alongside a video of herself being taught how to ride a skateboard by Malachi Barton, who she worked with in 2023 when they starred in the US comedy series The Villains Of Valley View.
Her post continued: ‘So, to lighten things up, here’s a video of my first (and last) skateboarding lesson, from @malachibarton.
‘It was a few years ago but still something that cracks me up when I realise I have no sporting ability whatsoever.’
The actress has had a number of health worries over the years and had a kidney transplant using an organ donated by her mother, Hazel, in 1997. Then, eight years later, Lucy, who is diabetic, required hospital treatment with kidney failure, but went on to make a full recovery.
Lucy has also been open about living with bulimia, which was at its worst when she was going through a divorce in 2011 after a five-year marriage to The Mentalist’s Owain Yeoman.
In her post on Tuesday, Lucy shared that she first discovered a ‘tiny, hard spot’ in her breast a year ago and nearly ignored it before seeing a doctor.
The star said that despite the cancer being declared incurable she is ‘at peace with whatever comes next’.
She shared her diagnosis alongside an emotional video that showed her ringing the cancer treatment hospital bell, and wrote in her post that she’s been told it’s ‘too late’ for her to undergo chemotherapy.
The star is best known for her role as Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’s comedy The Office, and went on to star in the DC film Wonder Woman and Netflix’s dark supernatural series Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.
She wrote: ‘Hi friends:) I wanted to share something with you all that I’ve kept to myself for a while but for various reasons would like to share now.
‘A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasised to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.
‘The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a “lump” as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out.
‘As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can. I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens.
‘And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that.
Lucy shared her diagnosis this month alongside an emotional video that showed her ringing the cancer treatment hospital bell, as she revealed it’s ‘too late’ for her to undergo chemotherapy
The actress with her father, comedian Jasper Carrott, at her wedding to Welsh actor Owain Yeoman in 2006 – they divorced five years later
‘As some of you will know, the pain can really be something else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes (so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!)
‘The thing that has been most vital to me is humour. I asked my friends and family to make fun of me as much as possible (which they’re really good at), and most importantly of all to not treat me like a sick person.
‘There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell.
‘I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it. I’ll see my Gracie [her dog, who died in 2024] sooner than expected, and for me, leaving my physical body just means going home. Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me.
‘I’m still going to keep up all my work for animal rights. It’s so important to me. And I still would like to keep working. I’m perfectly able to do so, and acting is one of the biggest joys in my life.
‘For those of you on a similar journey to mine, I do wish you well. Cancer asks a lot from us, physically and mentally. And we all get to do it however we choose. Much love to you all.’
After announcing the news in an Instagram post, many stars offered their own heartfelt messages in the comments.
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