'Seinfeld' Star Michael Richards Reveals Battle With Prostate Cancer

Michael Richards, who is best known for his role as Kramer on 'Seinfeld,' revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago.

The 74-year-old is set to release his memoir 'Entrances and Exits' next month, where he disclosed a health scare which could have ended his life.

Michael Richards Opened Up On His Battle With Prostate Cancer

In the Summer of 2018, the actor was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer during a routine checkup. Six years later, he is opening up about that time in his life, telling PEOPLE Magazine, "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 9-year-old and I'd like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?'"

When thinking back to that time, he recalled that the doctor told him, "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," he told the magazine.

Michael Richards Is Releasing A Memoir

The 'Seinfeld' actor wanted to release a memoir to "connect with feelings and memories."

"I had over 40 journals I’d kept over the years and wanted to do a full review of my life," he told PEOPLE. "I’m turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age.” He adds, “I wanted to connect with feelings and memory. I’m surprised at how much I was able to remember.”

Michael Richards' Controversial Past

In 2006, Michael Richards faced backlash after having a meltdown at Los Angeles' Laugh Factory and throwing out the N-word multiple times.

Richards became angry when a group of people in the crowd, who were allegedly Black, started mocking him during his comedy show, leading to his outburst.

“Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a f-cking fork up your a--,” Richards yelled. “Throw his a-- out. He’s a n-gger! He’s a n-gger! He’s a n-gger!"

Audience members then yelled back at the comedian, telling him, “That’s un-f-cking called for."

"It’s not funny," another person said. "That’s why you’re a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. 'Seinfeld,' that’s it.”

Michael Richards Claims He Is 'Not Racist'

Years later, he says he is "not looking for a comeback" and he is "not racist."

“I was immediately sorry the moment I said it on stage,” he told PEOPLE of the incident. “My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a force. But it happened. Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn’t been easy.”

“I’m not racist,” Richards added. “I have nothing against Black people. The man who told me I wasn’t funny had just said what I’d been saying to myself for a while. I felt put down. I wanted to put him down.”

Michael Richards Steps Away From Hollywood

After the incident, Richards stepped away from the spotlight and spent the past 17 years in "deep analysis."

"It was time to figure out where all the anger was coming from," he said, which he later revealed was influenced by his own insecurities. “Somehow, I couldn’t connect to the joy of being an artist," he added of becoming famous. "I was a good character actor, but I was comfortable being the character, not in being me.”

His insecurities led him to turn down the offer of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because he "didn’t feel deserving."

"I said no to hosting 'Saturday Night Live' twice because I didn’t feel good enough. I was never really satisfied with my 'Seinfeld' performance," he continued. "Fame magnified my insecurities.”

Richards’ memoir 'Entrances and Exits' will hit shelves on June 4.