Russell Andrews has detailed the early warning signs that preceded his ALS diagnosis.
The actor, 64, who appeared in “Better Call Saul” and “Straight Outta Compton,” was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in early August 2025 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had first suspected something was wrong back in 2021 when he began struggling to speak and use his voice, initially fearing he was having a stroke. However, due to a lack of insurance stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the actors’ strike, he delayed seeing a doctor until this year.
Andrews said that with the benefit of hindsight, he now recognizes symptoms that appeared even earlier. “I would feel twitches in my arms. I would feel like I was having pinched nerves consistently in my neck. But my walking was fine, my balance was fine,” he said.
The neurologist’s diagnosis left him initially “a little numb” and “in denial,” but Andrews has since thrown himself into evaluations, check-ups, and occupational therapy. He described the progression of his symptoms to PEOPLE, noting that slowed speech remains his primary frustration. “It’s mainly the ‘slowed speech’ which ‘annoys’ him,” he explained, adding that he is “learning how to get around it and wrap [his] mouth around some of these consonants.”
His condition has also brought physical challenges beyond speech. Andrews experiences cramping “from his shoulders to the back of [his] legs” when he yawns in the morning, along with a “loss of grip in both hands, primarily the left hand.” These symptoms have made “simple things” like tying shoes or buttoning shirts increasingly difficult.
Despite these obstacles, Andrews maintains a defiantly positive outlook. He said he is “okay with balance” and his breathing isn’t “labored,” then posed the rhetorical question: “How can I complain?”
This attitude has fueled a broader mission. Andrews has partnered with EverythingALS, a patient-focused nonprofit that supports people with ALS while funding research toward a cure. In an interview with Mail Online, he drew a connection to late “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Eric Dane, who died after his own ALS diagnosis.
“I’ve had a decent career in my business. The gentleman before me had a massive career, Eric Dane. I will not say that I grabbed the mantle, if you will, you know, the baton. However, I do understand what my place is right now, and we all need visibility,” Andrews stated.
He continued with a long-term pledge that underscores his commitment to the cause: “I have a 20-year plan. I plan to be here on the day when someone walks in with that bottle and says, ‘We have it. We figured it out,’ and it will be a collective of all of us.”
ALS is a neurodegenerative condition that affects how nerve cells communicate with muscles, targeting cells in the brain and spinal cord and progressively eroding muscle control. This leads to weakening, twitching, and eventual wasting of muscles, causing difficulties with movement, speaking, and breathing. While treatments exist to slow progression and improve quality of life, no cure has yet been found.
Andrews publicly revealed his diagnosis in May 2025, several months after receiving it, and has since made visibility and advocacy central to his response. His decision to speak openly about symptoms he once dismissed or misunderstood reflects a deliberate effort to help others recognize potential warning signs sooner.