A. Russell Andrews appeared in one episode of Grey’s Anatomy in Season 10. Andrews played the role of a minor one-off character, Mr. Davis. The actor in a May 16 episode of CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson alongside his fiancee announced that he has been diagnosed with ALS.
Andrews was seated by Tazel, his fiancee and caregiver as per CNN, and said,
“I am a person living with ALS. I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year.”
Andrews opened up about finding a community and non-profit called ALS Network, together with his caregiver.
“And it’s been humbling but there’s… Elex, 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.”
ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neurodegenrative condition which affects how nerve cells communicate with the muscles. The condition leads to muscle weakness and can influence movement, speech, and breathing.
A. Russell Andrews opens up about ALS symptoms
After A. Russell Andrews publicly announced on of CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson, he was asked about his symptoms. Andrews mentioned that he initially believed that he suffered a stroke during the COVID pandemic, and noticed early signs. Andrews also cited the 2023’s actor’s strike and said,
“It was a stressful time. We didn’t work for three years, about, and then we had the back-to-back strikes and so a lot was going on. At the time, Andrews said he suffered the occasional “twitches,” and thought he “was having pinched nerves in my neck.”
A. Russell Andrews added,
“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.”
His fiancee, Erica Tazel revealed that Andrews took extra time to clean the pool. Tazel also added that his movement raised questions which led to her thinking that “something is wrong.”
Andrews’ diagnosis comes months after another Grey’s Anatomy actor, Eric Dane passed away in February 2026. Dane passed away 10 months after he was diagnosed with ALS. Dane announced his diagnosis in April, 2025, after he noticed weakness in his right hand.
Edited by Soujanya Shapur