Lethal Weapon actor Danny Glover has revealed he has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years.
The 79-year-old announced the news during an interview on The Today Show, during which he explained that he had been diagnosed “not long” after receiving an honorary Oscar in 2022.
“I could live with it, in a sense. I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing,” he said, adding that his movements, speech and memory have slowed.
However, the support of his family, who he said “have got my back”, was getting him through.
In the interview, Glover’s daughter Mandisa added that it was “really important” for him to speak on his own terms.
“And the time is now. What better time but now for him to speak for himself? It’s important because people ask questions sometimes, and I don’t want to be a dishonest person and say, ‘Oh, yeah, everything is all right. It’s all great’,” she said.
Glover also spoke about his diagnosis with People, in which he said he was “still not accepting in my mind all parts of it”.
“There are the moments that you keep remembering that validate the fact that you can remember stuff. And there are moments I’ll never forget,” he said.
However Glover added: “I don’t feel like it’s the end of my life. There’s work to do. I still have my daughter, I have friends. I want to just say, your life continues.”
Speaking about reconciling himself with the diagnosis he received three years ago, Glover said it was “in some sense acknowledging that it’s happening to you and at the same time that there are millions of people suffering from it”.
Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Glover has amassed more than 170 film and TV credits to his name.
His film acting debut came in Escape From Alcatraz in 1979, but he rose to fame in the 1980s playing Roger Murtaugh alongside Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon films – and later starred in Places In The Heart, The Colour Purple, and Predator 2.
He has been awarded five Emmys and four Grammys.
Glover served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme from 1998-2004, working on global campaigns against poverty, disease and combating HIV/Aids across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Glover was also appointed as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef in 2004.
Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Michelle Dyson said: “Our thoughts are with Danny Glover following his announcement that he is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Sharing such personal news publicly raises much-needed awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, and we are extremely grateful to Danny for speaking openly about his diagnosis.
“Receiving a diagnosis can be frightening, but we believe it’s better to know.
“Alzheimer’s Society is here to offer our support to everyone affected by dementia, through our website alzheimers.org.uk and dementia support line on 0333 150 3456.”
