Edward James Olmos. 50 years of experience leave their mark on Latino culture in the U.S. 3:14

(CNN) -- Edward James Olmos has opened up about his recent health problem, calling it "a life-changing experience."

"It's the first time I've said it publicly, but I had throat cancer," Olmos, 76, said on the "Mando & Friends" podcast Friday.

"I just finished getting over it. December 20 was my last radiation. The week before I had finished chemo and [for] months and months I was on radiation and chemo while attacking my throat."

The "Selena" actor explained that five doctors counseled him before the treatment and warned him, "We just have to tell you one thing: We don't know what your voice is going to sound like" after they finished.

"I said, 'What?'" recalled Olmos.

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He described the cancer as "a very strong disease," and said doctors had to "shoot" his vocal cords with radiation.

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"We're shooting your vocal cords, we're shooting your throat; where you eat, where you swallow, where you talk, breathe, everything happens here," he said, later adding: "Many of my friends have passed away because of this."

He said the experience "took a lot out of him," and that he lost 24 kilograms and all his muscle tone.

"During the months I was in treatment, there were times when the body gives up," Olmos said. "And I didn't want to take food by the stomach. They wanted to put me in tubes and feed me nutrients because I couldn't swallow. They had to put 2,500 calories in my body every day. It was ridiculous, very hard."

Reflecting on her ordeal, Olmos said on the podcast that "it was a life-changing experience, the realization of how wonderful this life is."

"I've been through some experiences that have brought me closer to death, but that came close," he added.

Olmos is an actor best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in "Stand and Deliver" (1988), which told the true story of high school teacher Jaime Escalante, who inspired his marginalized students. Most recently, he was one of the protagonists of the series "Mayans M.C." on FX.

CancerEdward James Olmos