A. Russell Andrews, 'Insecure' and 'Straight Outta Compton' actor, reveals ALS diagnosis

Actor A. Russell Andrews, whose credits see “Straight Outta Compton,” “Insecure” and “Better Call Saul,” says helium is surviving with ALS, the aforesaid illness that claimed the beingness of histrion Eric Dane successful February.

Andrews initially thought helium had a changeable during the COVID-19 lockdowns, helium told Elex Michaelson of CNN connected “The Story Is,” wherever helium appeared Saturday with fiancée Erica Tazel. “It was a stressful time. We didn’t enactment for 3 years, about, and past we had the back-to-back strikes,” helium said. The actor, who founded the signifier institution StageWalkers Productions, mislaid his security due to the fact that of the deficiency of enactment and didn’t spot a doc until 2025.

“I americium a idiosyncratic surviving with ALS,” the 64-year-old said. “I was diagnosed successful the precocious autumn of past year, and it’s been humbling.”

Things had been happening to him that helium realizes successful hindsight were symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, besides known arsenic Lou Gehrig’s disease, truthful erstwhile helium had security again helium went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center “on a whim.” Within 15 minutes, helium said, the superior attraction doc was urging him to spell spot a neurologist.

“And present we sit,” helium said.

“There were moments, determination were twitches, determination were things — I thought I was having pinched nerves successful my neck, and they were rather frequent,” Andrews said. “But past I was not capable to bash things that I usually do. I was dropping cups and glasses, and astatine nighttime it felt similar things were moving up and down my arms astatine antithetic times.”

Tazel said she was “uncharacteristically calm” erstwhile helium told her his news. “In a way, it was an reply to a batch of questions that we had.”

The progressive illness destroys nervus cells successful the encephalon and spinal cord that a idiosyncratic needs to walk, talk, swallow and breathe, according to the ALS Assn. With nary cure, astir radical dice wrong 3 to 5 years of their archetypal symptoms.

“Lovecraft Country” and “Queen Sugar” histrion Tazel said she looked astatine Andrews from crossed the country and told him, “At slightest present we cognize what it is, and I inactive privation to beryllium your wife.”

Andrews — whose caller credits see “What I Learned successful Paris” astatine South Coast Repertory theatre successful 2022 and an occurrence of “Shameless” successful 2021 — was arrogant of the information that helium was capable to locomotion into the CNN workplace Saturday, helium said, portion galore others with ALS would not beryllium capable to bash so.

In summation to having Tazel successful his corner, Andrews said helium has had “the enactment of immoderate different friends who reminded maine however fortunate I am.”

Andrews suspects that playing shot good into his assemblage years mightiness person thing to bash with his condition, but CTE — chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative encephalon illness that has been recovered successful radical exposed to repetitive caput trauma — tin beryllium diagnosed lone aft a idiosyncratic dies.

Chicago Bears Pro Bowler Steve McMichael, who died of ALS successful April 2025 aft a five-year conflict with the disease, was yet diagnosed with CTE past period aft his woman donated his encephalon to researchers astatine Boston University.

“Too galore NFL players are processing ALS during beingness and diagnosed with CTE aft death. I donated Steve’s encephalon to animate caller probe into the nexus betwixt them,” Misty McMichael said successful a connection erstwhile the posthumous diagnosis went public.

Andrews besides said helium walked into a household of caring radical helium didn’t cognize a twelvemonth agone — the radical successful the ALS Network, who helium said “have not fto america miss a measurement successful presumption of care, the attention, the consciousness and the quality to get maine present today.”

“I deliberation we’re gonna beryllium OK,” Andrews said. “I anticipation that moving forward, what we bash and what we say, the adjacent guest, the adjacent clip they travel to you and they say, ‘Elex, we person a cure.’ And that’s wherefore we’re here.”