Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
At first he believed the symptoms was because of a stroke.
When looking at our favourite actors, sometimes we tend to forget that behind the characters portrayed in films and television series, there is a human being just like us.
But actors are just as human as the rest of us, for better or for worse.
Happiness and joy over personal events can just as easily turn into despair and sadness when tragedy strikes.
And now, actor Russell Andrews has recently shared a deeply personal medical update.
ALS
The Grey’s Anatomy appeared on CNN alongside his fiancée on Saturday to discuss his health.
During the broadcast, the 64-year-old revealed that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a condition widely known as ALS.
He told the audience, “I am a person living with ALS. I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year. It’s been humbling.”
The veteran actor intentionally timed his public announcement to coincide with ALS Awareness Month this May.
The clip was later posted on X by interviewer Elex Michaelson, who described it as “my most inspiring and powerful interview of the week”. The article continues below.
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Missing the clues
The first physical signs surfaced during the global pandemic. Andrews initially blamed the intense pressure of those early lockdown days.
A lack of steady work, combined with the Hollywood labour strikes, made matters worse. He explained that the ongoing stress clouded his judgment.
He told the CNN host, “I thought I had a stroke during COVID. It was a stressful time.”
Then the physical challenges multiplied. He explained, “There were moments when there were twitches. There were things that made me think I had pinched nerves in my neck, and they were quite frequent.”
Basic household tasks suddenly became incredibly difficult. His daily routine slowly fell apart.
He admitted, “I was not able to do things that I normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses, and during the night, it felt like things were running up and down my arm at different times, and it was the nerves.”
His partner, actress Erica Tazel, noticed subtle changes. She watched him walk differently and struggle to clean their pool.
Tazel said, “The processing is a process. When he originally shared it with me, I would say I was uncharacteristically calm.”
No cure
According to The ALS Association, ALS affects the nerve cells that control movement.
The condition is progressive, meaning that over time it can affect walking, speaking, and even breathing.
Science has not yet found a cure.
Another Grey’s Anatomy actor, Eric Dane, passed away earlier this year due to the condition, and in 2018, the world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking passed away after living with ALS for more than five decades.
Sources: CNN, The ALS Association
