American actor A. Russell Andrews disclosed his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis on CNN Saturday, revealing he received the news in the fall of 2025, with fiancee and now caregiver Erica Tazel by his side.
Andrews, 64, made the revelation during an appearance on CNN’s “The Story Is with Elex Michaelson” as part of ALS Awareness Month coverage. Tazel, also an actress, joined him on air as he spoke openly about the physical and emotional weight of the past year.
The actor credited the ALS Network, a nonprofit organisation, with providing the couple a support structure they had not anticipated. “They have not let us miss a step in terms of care, the attention, the awareness,” Andrews said.
He also shed light on a delayed path to diagnosis, recalling that early symptoms surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic but were initially attributed to a stroke. A prolonged period without acting work compounded the problem. “Because I wasn’t working for about three years, I lost my insurance,” he said, noting those early warning signs went unaddressed as a result.
Andrews has built a lengthy screen career across film and television. Audiences will recognise him from the HBO series “Insecure,” the acclaimed drama “Better Call Saul,” the biographical film “Straight Outta Compton” and the long-running medical series “Grey’s Anatomy.”
His decision to speak publicly comes as advocates push for greater awareness around ALS, a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells controlling muscle movement.
