Actor Danny Glover has confirmed he has Alzheimer's disease, sharing his diagnosis in a recent interview with NBC’s “Today.” Glover, 79, stated he received the news shortly before accepting an honorary Academy Award in 2022.
“I can live with it in a sense,” Glover told “Today” host Lester Holt. “I’m sure as it advances, different things will be different and changing.” In a separate interview with People, he added, “I’m 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.”
Glover's family hopes his openness will help raise awareness, particularly within the Black community, where Black men are disproportionately affected by the neurodegenerative disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 7 million Americans over 65 currently have Alzheimer's, which impairs memory, problem-solving, and thinking abilities. Reports indicate that Black men are impacted at twice the national average rate.
“We all get old. It happens,” said Glover's daughter, Mandisa Glover. “That’s what I think is important — that he tells his story, he has ownership of his life.”
Glover, a San Francisco native, began his film career in 1979's “Escape From Alcatraz.” His breakout role came eight years later as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the hit film “Lethal Weapon,” a role he reprised in three sequels. He has continued acting in recent years, with a guest appearance on “Black-ish” in 2020 and a role in the 2023 Disney+ film “The Naughty Nine.”
Beyond his acting career, Glover has been a vocal human rights advocate. He was appointed a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in 2004 and co-founded the independent film company Louverture Films in 2005, where he remains a principal partner.