Veteran actor Russell Andrews, best known for his roles in Better Call Saul and Grey's Anatomy, has publicly revealed his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The 64-year-old shared the news during an appearance on CNN's The Story Is with Elex Michaelson over the weekend, accompanied by his fiancée, actress Erica Tazel, known for her role in Justified.
ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is the most prevalent form of Motor Neurone Disease. This rare, degenerative condition affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, progressively impairing movement, speech, and independence. The disease has recently garnered increased attention following the announcement of a diagnosis by another Grey's Anatomy star, Eric Dane, in April 2025, who subsequently passed away in February 2026.
Andrews disclosed that he was diagnosed in the late autumn of 2025. Reflecting on the experience, he stated, "It's been humbling, but there's also something in the fact that I walked into a family of very caring people I did not know a year ago — the cliché family, but they have not let us miss a step in terms of care, the attention, the awareness and the ability to get me here today."
The actor initially suspected he might have suffered a stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic, before later recognizing potential early indicators of ALS. He described a period of significant stress, noting that the entertainment industry faced a three-year hiatus and back-to-back strikes in 2023. "There were twitches... I thought I was having pinched nerves in my neck and they were quite frequent," he recalled. "I was not able to do things that I normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses at night. It felt like things were running up and down my arm at different times and it was the nerves."
Tazel observed subtle changes in her fiancé's daily activities. "It took him longer to clean the pool," she said. "The way he walked, there was just the subtle little things like that and I had questions. I was like, 'Something is definitely wrong.'"
Recalling the moment of diagnosis, Tazel described an unexpected calmness. "I was uncharacteristically calm and in a way, it was an answer to a lot of questions that we had. [There] was not a sigh of relief, but some understanding of what was happening," she said. "And I looked at him across the room and I said, 'At least now we know what it is, and I still want to be your wife.'" Reflecting on the experience, she added that it taught her about "truly unconditional" love.
In conjunction with ALS Awareness Month this May, Andrews has also announced a partnership with the ALS Network. "Receiving this diagnosis changed my life," he said via the network's website. "What I didn't expect was the depth of connection and support that comes with it. There's a community here that shows up in ways that matter."
Andrews is widely recognized for his portrayal of Detective Salerno in AMC's Better Call Saul, the prequel to Breaking Bad, and for playing a patient in Grey's Anatomy. His other credits include a pastor in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, as well as minor roles in HBO's Insecure and CBS's NCIS: New Orleans.
