Russell Andrews has shared that he’s been diagnosed with ALS, the degenerative neurological disease that fellow Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane died from earlier this year.
Revealing His Diagnosis
Andrews, 64, known for roles in Grey’s Anatomy, Better Call Saul, and dozens of film and TV projects, confirmed the news during an emotional appearance on The Story Is With Elex Michaelson.
Joined by his fiancée, actress Erica Tazel, Andrews explained that he received the diagnosis late last fall.
He said, “I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year.”
“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.”
The actor said he initially believed he had suffered a stroke during the height of the Covid‑19 pandemic, when he first noticed unusual symptoms.
He recalled, “It was a stressful time.”
“There were moments. … were twitches. There were things that I thought I was having 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.”
ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – was listed as the underlying cause of Eric Dane’s death in February at just 53.
The disease progressively affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle control.
May Be Linked to CTE
Andrews also revealed he believes his condition may be linked to CTE, the degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head trauma.
Before becoming an actor, he played college football, and he suspects the years of hits may have contributed to his ALS.
However, he noted that doctors won’t be able to confirm that connection until after his death, when his brain can be studied.
Dane’s Experience with ALS
All while dealing with the symptoms of the disease, Dane managed to write a memoir. It is being posthumously published later this year.
The actor completed a manuscript shortly before his death. It will be released as My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments.
The book will be published on November 3 by The Open Field. Maria Shriver founded the imprint of Penguin Random House.
The Euphoria star had publicly revealed 10 months before his death that he had been diagnosed with ALS.
According to his publisher, he continued working on the manuscript until shortly before he died.
Shriver said Dane had been determined to leave a message for his family.
Memoir for Fans and Family
She added in a statement released by Penguin Random House, “He told me he wanted his family to know how much he loved them and he wanted to leave them a story they could be proud of.”
The publisher described the memoir as “a deeply personal work” reflecting on Dane’s life. It includes family, sobriety, fatherhood, and living with terminal illness.
The release stated that completing and publishing the book had been Dane’s own decision.
The statement went on, “He wanted his daughters and readers to have these words. Publishing it as planned allows him to continue speaking, in his own voice, with the clarity and courage that defined him.”