Russell Andrews Reveals ALS Diagnosis

Actor Russell Andrews has revealed he’s been diagnosed with ALS, as he hopes to raise further awareness of the rare degenerative disease during ALS Awareness Month. 

The 64-year-old, who has had roles on Better Call Saul, Insecure, and Straight Outta Compton, said he was diagnosed last fall after suffering a series of health problems, including experiencing “twitches” and “pinched nerves” in his neck. 

Due to losing his health insurance during the SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023, Andrews said he went to the doctor as soon as he had his insurance back. The physician immediately recommended that Andrews see a neurologist. “One thing led to another,” Andrews told CNN host Elex Michaelson over the weekend. 

Andrews has since partnered with the ALS Network, praising the organization for providing him and his fiancée, actress Erica Tazel, with a sense of community. “It’s been humbling,” Andrews added. “[But] 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.”

Despite the fatal diagnosis, Andrews and Tazel say they still plan to get married, with Tazel devoting herself to being Andrews’ caretaker. “[There] was not a sigh of relief, but some understanding of what was happening,” Tazel said on the news program. “I looked at him across the room, and I said, ‘At least now we know what it is, and I still want to be your wife.’”

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition will eventually lead to paralysis, with a gradual decline of a person’s muscle control and the slurring of their speech. There is currently no cure for this disease. 
In February, Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star Eric Dane died of ALS aged 53. He had revealed his diagnosis only 10 months earlier.

In a separate statement highlighting the importance of the work that the ALS Network is doing, including advocating for the expansion of access to care, helping connect families to resources, and pushing forward further research, Andrews said: “This moment is bigger than me.”

“It’s about making sure people feel supported, and making sure we keep moving forward,” he added.