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Actor A. Russell Andrews, whose credits include \u201cStraight Outta Compton,\u201d \u201cInsecure\u201d and \u201cBetter Call Saul,\u201d says he is living with ALS, the same disease that claimed the life of actor Eric Dane in February<\/a>.<\/p>\n Andrews initially thought he had a stroke during the COVID-19 lockdowns, he told Elex Michaelson of celebrity.land on \u201cThe Story Is<\/a>,\u201d where he appeared Saturday with fianc\u00e9e Erica Tazel. \u201cIt was a stressful time. We didn\u2019t work for three years, about, and then we had the back-to-back strikes,\u201d he said. The actor, who founded the stage company StageWalkers Productions, lost his insurance because of the lack of work and didn\u2019t see a doctor until 2025. <\/p>\n \u201cI am a person living with ALS,\u201d the 64-year-old said. \u201cI was diagnosed in the late fall of last year, and it\u2019s been humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n Things had been happening to him that he realizes in hindsight were symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease, so once he had insurance again he went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center \u201con a whim.\u201d Within 15 minutes, he said, the primary care doctor was urging him to go see a neurologist. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd here we sit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were moments, there were twitches, there were things \u2014 I thought I was having pinched nerves in my neck, and they were quite frequent,\u201d Andrews said. \u201cBut then I was not able to do things that I normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses, and at night it felt like things were running up and down my arms at different times.\u201d<\/p>\n Tazel said she was \u201cuncharacteristically calm\u201d when he told her his news. \u201cIn a way, it was an answer to a lot of questions that we had.\u201d<\/p>\n The progressive disease destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that a person needs to walk, talk, swallow and breathe, according to the ALS Assn<\/a>. With no cure, most people die within three to five years of their first symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cLovecraft Country\u201d and \u201cQueen Sugar\u201d actor Tazel said she looked at Andrews from across the room and told him, \u201cAt least now we know what it is, and I still want to be your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n