The Greatest Showman actor Sam Humphrey is "fighting for his life" and will be undergoing a high-risk surgery at a hospital in LA. According to reports, the actor, who plays Charles Stratton in the popular musical film, is suffering from complications from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, which has allegedly been worsened by his skeletal dysplasia, more commonly known as dwarfism, which affects the growth of bones and cartilage.
Sam is currently in hospital
His family released a statement confirming that Sam would be undergoing surgery, writing: "He is currently under the care of some of the best doctors in the world at Cedars Sinai and is undergoing high-risk corrective surgery." TMZ has reported that the New Zealand-born actor has been in hospital for several weeks ahead of the planned surgery.
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Sam has previously opened up about his condition, telling News.com.au how he struggled with depression when he was told that he wasn't expected to reach his 18th birthday when he was a child. He said: "I was feeling very hopeless and depressed. I thought to myself, 'What's the point to this if I'm going to die in a few years? Why put it off?' I tried to kill myself a few times but the thought of what it would do to my family and friends was too much and ultimately I just couldn't bring myself to end my life." The 24-year-old, who has also starred in Neighbours and Jeremy the Dud, added that his role in The Greatest Showman was a dream come true, explaining: "Honestly, at that moment when I received the email saying, 'Good news, the studio has approved Sam for the role of Tom Thumb', I was stunned for a few minutes. It felt like a dream that I was going to wake from at any moment."