Russell Andrews, best known for his roles in Better Call Saul and Grey’s Anatomy, revealed that he was diagnosed with ALS last year during a recent appearance on CNN’s The Story Is With Elex Michaelson. This marked the first time that the actor publicly spoke about the disease. Months before he shared the diagnosis, his Grey’s Anatomy co-star, Eric Dane, reportedly died following complications related to ALS.
Russell Andrews reveals his ALS diagnosis
During his recent appearance on CNN’s The Story Is With Elex Michaelson, Russell Andrews revealed that he was diagnosed with ALS. It is a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is best known for his roles in Better Call Saul and Grey’s Anatomy. This was the first time the actor publicly shared the information.
“I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year,” Russell told Michaelson. “And it’s been humbling, but there’s… Elex, there’s also something in the fact that I walked into a family of very caring people I did not know a year ago. The cliché family, but they have not let us miss a step in terms of care, the attention, the awareness, and the ability to get me here today.”
The actor explained that he and Tazel found a supportive community through the nonprofit ALS Network following his diagnosis. He said that it has been helpful.
He also revealed that when the first symptoms started appearing, he believed they stemmed from an old possible stroke. Andrews suffered through the stroke during the COVID pandemic. “It was a stressful time. We didn’t work for three years, about, and then we had the back-to-back strikes, and so a lot was going on,” he said, referring to the 2023 actors’ strike.
He further stated that his diagnosis could potentially be linked to CTE from his college football career. Although he said he could not know for certain.
Andrews added about the progressing symptoms, “I was not able to do things that I normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses at night. It felt like things were running up and down my arm at different times, and it was the nerves.”
Tazel will reportedly take on the role of caregiver as the disease progresses.
