Russell Andrews, best known for his roles in Better Call Saul and Grey’s Anatomy, publicly revealed his ALS diagnosis during a recent appearance on CNN’s The Story Is With Elex Michaelson. He stated that the condition could possibly be linked to CTE from his college football career. The announcement comes months after fellow Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane reportedly died following a battle with ALS.
Russell Andrews confirms his ALS diagnosis
Grey’s Anatomy actor Russell Andrews revealed during a recent appearance on CNN’s The Story Is With Elex Michaelson that he was diagnosed with ALS last year. “I am a person living with ALS,” the 64-year-old actor said.
“I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year,” he explained. “It’s been humbling. But there’s also something in the fact that I walked into a family of very caring people. People I did not know a year ago.”
Andrews appeared on the segment alongside his fiancée, Erica Tazel. During the interview, he explained that he initially believed he had suffered a stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a stressful time,” he explained. “There were moments. There were twitches.” He added, “There were things that I thought were pinched nerves in my neck. And they were quite frequent. But then I was not able to do things I was normally able to do.”
He further stated that his diagnosis could potentially be linked to CTE from his college football career. However, he noted that it would be impossible to definitively determine whether that was the cause while he is still alive.
The news of Andrews’ diagnosis comes months after fellow Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane reportedly died following complications related to ALS.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to weaken, twitch, and deteriorate over time. The condition gradually affects voluntary movement, speech, and breathing. There is currently no known cure for the disease.
