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Taye Diggs, who lost his mother and stepfather to cancer, talks to PEOPLE about the importance of early cancer detection
Diggs is partnering with Cancerguard to raise awareness around early detection and testing
The actor, 55, says that "there's no excuse for people to just not go out and just get the test"
Taye Diggs takes early cancer detection seriously — and wants other people to feel the same.
TheBest Manactor, 55, tells PEOPLE that "both my parents, unfortunately, passed a little earlier than expected from various cancers." His mother, Marcia Berry, died in 2019, shortly after being diagnosed, while his stepfather, Jeffries Diggs, died from colon cancer in 2004.
"When something bad happens and you realize that it can be avoided when people don't take advantage of it, that annoys me," he tells PEOPLE. "Take my situation. Both my parents passed, both of them."
In 2024, Tayeopened uptochoreographer Mandy Mooreabout his mother's death, explaining that she "didn't tell anybody" about her diagnosis at first.
"She was feeling weird, but she's a trooper. It got so tough that we took her to the hospital, and then that's when they were like, 'Okay, she's got cancer. She doesn't have much [time].' And then boom, she was gone," he said whilepreparing for FOX'sThe Real Full Monty.
Now, the actor is partnering with Cancerguard, a blood-based, multi-cancer detection test for adults. The test alerts the user about any unusual protein markers, encouraging them to get further testing, as it is designed to assist, not replace, cancer screenings.
"I had no idea that anything like this even existed," Taye tells PEOPLE. "If they had, I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in today."
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"So now that we know we have amazing tools like this through Exact Sciences, there's no excuse for people to just not go out and just get the test," he adds.
The Broadway star notes that "everybody, especially these days, could all use a little bit more peace of mind."
"It always seems to be a mystery around cancer, where all of a sudden, there are so many instances where nobody knew. People can get lucky, but a lot of times, people cannot. So let's avoid it all and just get tested," he shares.
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Taye explains that he is hyper-hyper aware of his health due tohis 16-year-old son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs,whom he shares withex-wife Idina Menzel.
"I'm a father. I enjoy being a father. I wanna make sure that I'm there for him as long as possible," he says. "Realizing that this test existed was a relief. I know that now I have the information that I need to possibly be there for my son as long as possible."
As for his son, the formerRentstar says the teenager is "already on it" when it comes to monitoring his health.
"If he hears me even sniffle, he's like, 'Go to the doctor,'" Taye tells PEOPLE. "He already has that mental state. I'm a little bit late to the game. We're definitely letting him know that being the early bird is definitely beneficial."
Read the original article onPeople