PETE POSTLETHWAITE was battling cancer when he appeared as King Lear at the Liverpool Everyman during Capital of Culture year.
The late Warrington-born Hollywood star, who passed away earlier this year, kept his illness from cast and crew at the Everyman to carry on in the role which saw him return to the theatre where he had learned his craft.
He makes the revelation in a new autobiography, A Spectacle of Dust, due to be released tomorrow.
In the book, which he completed shortly before his death, the 64-year-old also described Liverpool as the most important city during his life as an actor.
And he reveals details of a nervous breakdown he suffered while on a summer season with players from the Everyman, as well as a run-in with The Beatles.
