‘Tiny Pretty Things’ Star Barton Cowperthwaite Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnoses From The Hospital

Barton Cowperthwaite, known for his role in Netflix’s ballet drama series Tiny Pretty Things, shared in a heartfelt Instagram post that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Accompanied by photos of himself alongside what appeared to be his CT scans, Cowperthwaite shared the details of his condition.

In the caption of his post, he began, “So… Yesterday I received a diagnosis of at least a stage 2 Glioma.” 

Cowperthwaite explained that the tumor is a considerable size, originates in the brain itself and does not spread from cancer elsewhere in the body. Cowperthwaite’s note was lengthy and provided further insight into his situation.

Cowperthwaite continued, “Docs so far have been confident that they’ll be able to remove most of the tumor, and that after a successful operation, and some rehab, I will be operating like my (amazing, talented, brilliant, hilarious) self. That being said it seems like scans and checkups will be a part of my life for its lengthy remainder.”

The actor, 31, went on to say that he and his family have considered surgery, but they are “taking several days to get second opinions,” and added that he plans to go in for surgery by the “middle or end of next week.”

Gliomas are the most prevalent form of malignant primary brain tumors in adults. These tumors are categorized on a scale of 1 to 4; higher numbers indicate a more unfavorable prognosis. The tumors typically exhibit slow initial growth, and surgery is often the initial course of treatment.

Tiny Pretty Things co-stars Michael Hsu Rosen and Brennan Clost both expressed their support in the comments section of his post.

Rosen wrote, “I love you so much Barton.” Clost commented, “Oh Barty, I’m so sorry to hear this. Sending you so much love ❤️❤️❤️ you’ve got this!!!”

Apart from his role as Oren Lennox in the Netflix series, Cowperthwaite has appeared in other television shows such as 2016’s Center Stage: On Pointe and the mini-series Fosse/Verdon in 2019. He was also a cast member for the movie Imposters in 2022.