Danny Glover, 79, courageously revealed on Wednesday, July 1, that he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and has been living with the condition since 2022.
Along with numerous other projects, Glover starred in three Hallmark films between 2012 and 2017: “Hannah’s Law,” “A Way Back Home,” and “The Christmas Train.”
The “Criminal Minds” actor spoke for the first time about the heartbreaking news in an exclusive interview at his home with NBC’s Lester Holt. He told Holt, “I’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” Holt says the condition has been slowing Glover’s “speech, movement, and memories.” He also says Glover is making his story public “because he and his family believe they can help remove the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s.”
He also pointed out that currently more than 7 million Americans over 65 are living with the disease, and Black men are affected at a rate more than double the national average.
The “Lethal Weapon” star seemed in good spirits as the interview started, showing off the honorary Oscar trophy on his shelf and joking, “Didn’t look like I was gonna win one.” The trophy represents the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which he received in 2022 to recognize his philanthropic efforts, social justice advocacy, and human rights work.
The prize came shortly after his diagnosis, the feature reveals. However, the disease is now “taking its toll,” according to the segment.
Speaking slowly, Glover opened up about how he’s coping with the condition. He said, “I can live with it” but acknowledged, “As things advance, I’m sure everything’s gonna be different and changing.”
Danny Glover’s Daughter Reacts to His Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Glover’s 50-year-old daughter, Mandisa, appeared on the segment and said, “We all get old. It happens. That’s what I think is important, you know that he tells his story. He has ownership of his life.”
Mandisa appeared on the cover of “Jett” alongside her famous father in March of 1986.
The segment also covered Glover’s beginnings, recounting how he was raised in San Francisco and began acting in his early 20s while attending college at San Francisco State.
Glover’s eye lit up with a twinkle as he recalled his first time acting in a play, an Amiri Baraka production, saying, “I’d never been on a stage before.”
He went on to become famous for the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, but says the role nearest to his heart was the 1984 drama “Places in the Heart,” in which he starred across from Sally Field. The piece says he dedicates his performances in the film to his mother, who died in a car accident the day he was cast in the role.
Danny Glover Previously Shared His Interpretation of Message Behind ‘The Christmas Train’
In a Hallmark interview, Glover said the plot of “The Christmas Train,” in which he plays a jaded war journalist whose life is changed by a four-day train journey just before Christmas, represents “the translation that happens through time, culture, change, and everything else.” He went on, “Because the idea of movement, an idea of it moving itself, allows us to kind of interpret. Allows us to reminisce. Allows us to reflect. That’s what this train does, in a sense.”
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