X-Men star has gone blind in one eye after ignoring symptom
X-Men star Kodi Smit-McPhee has been left blind in one eye after he developed a cataract and was too busy to see a doctor. The 28-year-old actor - who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in 2021 Western 'The Power of the Dog' - has revealed he developed a condition called ankylosing spondylitis - which causes inflammation and leads to pain, tiredness and stiffness - when he was 18 and had trouble with his left eye but was so busy making movies he put off seeing a doctor until it was too late to save his sight.
He told The Telegraph: "Ironically, I was playing a superhero in 'X-Men', and then I was doing these other action films like 'Alpha'. And I went through very tough times on those jobs ... I just didn’t follow up on it [the cataract]. You know, I was thinking too much and I couldn’t get back to the doctor. Eventually the cataract had done so much damage. It was in atrophy. So in that eye I can’t see anything."
In the interview, Kodi said he thinks "suppressed trauma" led to his health issues after becoming a successful child actor and then seeing his parents' marriage collapse when he was a teenager.
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He said: "Looking after my family and projecting these ideas on to myself. They weren’t things that were expected of me, but while I saw it [acting] as the greatest experience of my life, I also saw it as, like, ‘Oh, this is something that I can do to save everyone' ...
"Everyone was splitting up and my sister moved out. My dad was home and I thought: 'Oh s***, I didn’t get to save everyone'. I only got to do it for myself and it felt very selfish. It felt like impostor syndrome."
Kodi starred alongside Viggo Mortenson in The Road in 2009 before roles in Let Me In and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He went on to portray Nightcrawler in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
Common Symptoms of Cataracts:
Blurry or Cloudy Vision – Vision may seem hazy, like looking through a foggy window.
Difficulty Seeing at Night – Vision worsens in low-light conditions.
Sensitivity to Light and Glare – Bright lights, such as headlights or sunlight, may cause discomfort or glare.
Halos Around Lights – You may see rings or halos around bright lights.
Fading or Yellowing of Colors – Colours may appear less vibrant or have a yellowish tint.
Double Vision in One Eye – Seeing multiple images in one eye, which can be a sign of an advancing cataract.
Frequent Changes in Glasses Prescription – Your vision fluctuates, requiring new glasses more often.
Difficulty Reading or Seeing Details – You may struggle with reading small print or recognizing faces.
Cataracts usually develop slowly and affect older adults, but they can also result from injury, diabetes, prolonged steroid use, or genetic factors. If you suspect cataracts, an eye exam by an ophthalmologist can confirm the diagnosis and determine if surgery is needed.
