Hollywood actor and activist Danny Glover publicly disclosed his 2023 Alzheimer's disease diagnosis during a television interview broadcast on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, aiming to dismantle public stigmas surrounding the neurodegenerative condition.
The 79-year-old "Lethal Weapon" star revealed to NBC's "Today" show anchor Lester Holt that the illness has progressively impacted his physical movements, speech, and memory, though he continues to remain socially active within his community.
The announcement aligns with data from the Alzheimer's Association showing that over 7 million Americans aged 65 and older live with the condition, with Black men experiencing diagnosis rates at double the national average.
Glover discussed his ongoing adaptation to the progressive nature of the disease during the television segment.
"I'm sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing," he said.
The actor expressed resilience regarding his daily life while dealing with the symptoms. "I could live with it, in a sense," Glover said.
Glover also shared his perspective on global challenges and the role of creativity during the broadcast.
"We have challenges in the world, and I think art becomes a reframe, a way of looking at that," he said.
In a separate interview published by People on Wednesday, the actor admitted to facing psychological hurdles regarding the reality of his condition.
"I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it," Glover said.
He noted that certain cognitive experiences serve to reinforce his current mental state.
"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 said.
Glover concluded by noting the shared global impact of the illness for millions of families.
"In some sense acknowledging that it's happening to you and at the same time that there are millions of people suffering from it," he said.
Family members of the Oscar winner appeared in the broadcast to offer their public support for the family patriarch.
"They've got my back," Glover said.
His daughter, Mandisa, emphasized the importance of her father controlling his own narrative regarding his health journey. "We all get old.
It happens," Mandisa Glover said.
She expressed that sharing the diagnosis helps maintain personal autonomy over his legacy.
"That's what I think is important, that he tells his story, he has ownership of his life," Mandisa Glover said.
The profile also reviewed the actor's cinematic career, including his co-founding of Louverture Films to fund socially conscious cinema, and his favorite role in the 1984 film "Places in the Heart," which he dedicated to his mother, Carrie, following her death in a car accident on the day he was cast.
Glover additionally recalled humorous fan interactions from his role as Roger Murtaugh in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, remembering events where fans requested signatures on household items mirroring a famous bomb scene from the sequel.
"I've had signing events where somebody would bring their toilet up, and I would sign it," Glover said.
