WATCH: Michael Douglas Reveals His ‘Great British Attitude’ To Battling Cancer

The Hollywood icon praised the mentality of British people who are able to ‘get up and get on with it’ during the most difficult of times.

The Ant-Man star opened up about his battle with throat cancer and being near the brink of death in 2010, when he and his family - including his wife Catherine Zeta Jones - were rocked by the diagnosis and he underwent gruellng chemotherapy treatment.

Michael, 71, is now five-years cancer-free and has said his mentality and “stiff upper lip” helped him march on towards a full recovery.

Speaking earlier today on Good Morning Britain, he said: “After you’ve had a cancer bout you don’t take time for granted, you choose more selectively how you’re going to spend your time.

Asked whether he was afraid he would have to give up acting, he added: “When you’re waiting to find out if you’re cancer free or not, you go through your chemo and radiation, you lose a dramatic amount of weight, and when it’s all done, there’s this time when you go back to find out if you’re in good shape or not. So sure, there’s always a moment.”

Though, he added, nothing can prepare you for coming to terms with that.

He said: “No, but you know you don’t really have much choice do you? I think that’s really the way I see it, and that is a great British attitude to have quite honestly, you get up and you get on with it, don’t you?”