Steven W. Bailey, the actor best known for his role as bar owner Joe on the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, has spoken publicly for the first time about his diagnosis with a rare and incurable muscle disease.
A Shocking Diagnosis and Initial Symptoms
The 54-year-old actor revealed he was diagnosed with Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (CMS) in 2020, a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. He described the moment he first realised something was seriously wrong. "I tried to turn my hand with a screwdriver and my entire arm just went into a lockdown situation," Bailey recalled during a candid interview with Good Morning America on Friday.
He spoke openly about the private struggle he endured following his diagnosis. "There's a lot of private moments of everything kind of falling apart and then, you know, you kind of have to bolster yourself back up and try to stay positive," the actor explained. The primary symptoms of CMS include profound muscle weakness and severe fatigue, which have led Bailey to use a wheelchair to assist with daily activities and conserve energy.
Career Ambitions and Advocacy from a Wheelchair
Despite the significant health challenges, Bailey is determined to continue his acting career. He stated he can "still" work but will "just get tired quicker and I might need to move around the set on a wheelchair just to save my energy for the scene itself."
He now sees an important opportunity to increase representation in the entertainment industry. "I think that there's a real opportunity to show people on screen who are like me, ambulatory wheelchair users," Bailey emphasised. "I think it'd be a real interesting exploration of a character, to have somebody who's dealing with an issue like that onscreen."
Ending Years of Secrecy
Bailey first announced his diagnosis publicly last week in a detailed thread on his X account. He confessed to hiding his condition for over five years due to "career caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and being private about such things in general." He has now decided, "Time to stop."
He explained that CMS disrupts communication between nerves and muscles, leading to rapid fatigue and weakness. "Sustained repetitive movements are particularly difficult and can cause my muscles to temporarily tighten and shut down," he wrote. While he joked this exempted him from household chores, he acknowledged serious "issues with walking."
Bailey now alternates between walking for short tasks and using a powered wheelchair for longer mobility. "Practically speaking, moving forward, it's time for my work, like in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair," he admitted.
Looking ahead, the actor, whose credits also include Shameless, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Modern Family, is optimistic. "I am hopeful that there is still room for me in this industry that I love," he said, signing off with a powerful message: "Same guy. Same actor. Same artist. Now with wheels."
