The final nine episodes of HBO's Sunday night hit The Sopranos feature the stuff of life. You know -- blood, guts, betrayal, angst, and cancer. It's not quite the stuff of my life, well, except for the cancer part.

Actor Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni, powerfully weaves cancer into the end of this popular television drama. Diagnosed with lung cancer, his character is given three months to live -- in a prison hospital bed.

Johnny Sack says very little in the last episodes. He does gasp to his wife in episode two, "I'm very, very sick," but he lacks the lung capacity to muster up much more. He disease is considered stage four.

The cancer depictions -- one shows Johnny Sack shuffling down a long corridor in his hospital robe, oxygen tank dragging behind -- are right on, say those who've taken an early peek at the shows. And reportedly, the cancer scenes pretty accurately reflect the concerns of the larger culture -- where cancer has become an epidemic that sadly, won't come to end in nine episodes.

City Slickers actor Bruno Kirby died on Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, his wife shared in a statement concerning his death. Kirby was 57 and had only recently been diagnosed with the disease.

A veteran character actor, Kirby was known for roles in The Godfather: Part II, Good Morning Vietnam, When Harry Met Sally, and City Slickers. Most recently, Kirby appeared on HBOs Entourage as fictitious producer Phil Rubenstein.

Kirby's wife shared in her statement, "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years. Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."

And even though he has passed, Kirby will continue to touch lives -- because all contributions in his honor will be go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Los Angeles.