Three months after the death of “Grey’s Anatomy” hunk Eric Dane due to ALS, another television actor has announced he’s been diagnosed with the devastating disease.
A. Russell Andrews, a 64-year-old actor who counts a role in season 2 of “Better Call Saul” among his most memorable parts, bravely revealed his diagnosis in a May 16 CNN interview with his fiancée Erica Tazel at his side.
Andrews shared an Instagram update the day after the interview, in which he wrote:
“Hey Fam,
What can I say? For years, my family and I have volunteered for any and everything. That work is so demanding but I always wondered if there was ‘more to do?’As fate would have it, ‘more’ has shown itself in a truly humbling package. It’s going to be a long walk, but with the genuine and direct support of #youralsnetwork we’re prepared, and I’m okay.
In the big picture, The ALS NETWORK #alsnetwork and their many affiliates are close to a cure, really close, but “more” is needed. Your support may not be in time for me, but if you’re able it would mean the world to the many people and families living with ALS.
Stay Up,
Russell 🎭”
A. Russell Andrews Opens Up About ALS to CNN
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a motor neuron disease that leads to paralysis, CNN explained ahead of Andrews’ interview. The outlet reported the CDC estimates around 5,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
“I am a person living with ALS,” Andrews announced before going to say he was diagnosed in the late fall of 2025. He said the condition has been “humbling,” but also looked at the bright side, celebrating the fact that he “walked into a family of very caring people, people I did not know a year ago.”
Andrews said his newfound support system has not let him “miss a step in terms of care.”
A. Russell Andrews Mistook 1st ALS Symptoms for a Stroke
“I thought I’d had a stroke,” Andrews recalled when asked about the first clues he noticed that something was wrong. He cited the stress of missing around 3 years of work due to COVID immediately followed by the back-to-back Hollywood strikes of the the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, but said he then began feeling “twitches” and things that felt like “pinched nerves.”
Next, Andrews says he became unable to complete his normal activities, and started to do thing like “dropping cups.” He also felt a sensation running up and down his arms at night.
The actor, who portrayed a pastor in “Straight Outta Compton,” said doctors think his football career, which lasted into college, may have contributed via CTE.
Tazel, also an actor, said she knew “something was wrong” when she noticed Andrews struggling to clean the pool and walk, among other things.
Andrews lost his insurance amid the strike, but said he went to get checked out as soon as he got it back, and was told to see a neurologist “within 15 minutes.”
Tazel reacted with admirable strength. “I was uncharacteristically calm and in a way, it was an answer to a lot of questions that we had,” she said. She said she also promised Andrews she still wants to be his wife, and called the ordeal an example of love that is “truly unconditional.”
