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Danny Glover is sharing one of the most difficult chapters of his life.
The 79-year-old Hollywood icon has revealed that he is living with Alzheimer’s disease, opening up about his diagnosis in a deeply personal interview while reflecting on his legendary career, his family and the road ahead.
“I’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Glover said on the “Today” show.
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Danny Glover revealed he is living with Alzheimer’s disease. (Vinnie Zuffante / Getty Images)
The “Lethal Weapon” star said the disease has begun affecting his movement, speech and memory, but he is choosing to face the diagnosis head-on.
“I can live with it, in a sense,” Glover said.
When asked whether he fears losing his memories, the actor acknowledged what lies ahead.
“I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be… different and changing.”
Glover received an honorary Oscar in 2022, shortly before his diagnosis, recognizing a career that spans nearly 200 movie and television credits.
While he continues making public appearances and staying involved in his community, he acknowledged Alzheimer’s is taking an increasing toll.
Danny Glover and Mel Gibson starred in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
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The actor said he and his family decided to share his diagnosis publicly to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease.
“We all get old. It happens,” Glover’s daughter, Mandisa, said during the “Today” show segment.
She added, “That’s what I think is important, you know, that he tells his story. That he has ownership of his life.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million Americans ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease that gradually destroys memory and cognitive function.
Before becoming a Hollywood fixture, Glover discovered acting while attending San Francisco State University after encouragement from acclaimed playwright Amiri Baraka.
“He came in… so-called revolutionaries come up and new plays… I had never been on stage before,” Glover recalled.
Danny Glover and Mel Gibson on the set of “Lethal Weapon” on Hollywood Boulevard in 1986. (Bertrand LAFORET/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
His career exploded with acclaimed performances in film and television, but it was his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise that made him an international star.
The actor laughed while recalling one of the more unusual consequences of the franchise’s popularity.
“I’ve had… where somebody would bring their toilet up, and I would sign it,” Glover said.
Despite a career filled with iconic performances, Glover named 1984’s “Places in the Heart” as the movie that means the most to him.
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“‘Places in the Heart’ with Sally Field, a wonderful cast,” he told the media outlet.
The role carries lasting emotional weight. Glover revealed his mother was killed in a car accident the same day he learned he had been cast in the movie, and he has long dedicated his performance to her memory.
Outside Hollywood, Glover has become equally known for being involved in his community, co-founding a production company, Louverture Films, focused on supporting socially conscious stories from underserved communities.
The Hollywood star says the brain disease has begun affecting his movement, speech and memory. (Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images)
“We have challenges in the world, and I think art becomes a refrain, a way of looking at that,” he said.
Even as he navigates Alzheimer’s, Glover said he still has work left to do.
“Talking to young people and their responsibility,” he said when asked what he still hopes to contribute.
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When told he still had a lot to teach, Glover replied, “Well, and lots to learn as well.”
Even as Alzheimer’s changes the course of his life, Glover isn’t stepping away from the causes closest to his heart.
The Hollywood veteran said he still hopes to inspire young people and use his voice for good.
