Actor Russell Andrews Of 'Insecure' And 'Straight Outta Commpton' Reveals ALS Diagnosis

Veteran actor Russell Andrews has revealed that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) last year. Andrews spoke about his diagnosis on Saturday when he sat down for an interview on CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.

What did Russell Andrews say about living with ALS?

Sitting alongside his fiancée, Erica Tazel, the Insecure star said he first experienced pinched nerves and twitching during COVID. At that time, the actor thought he had experienced a stroke.

“There were moments, there were twitches. I thought I was having pinched nerves in my neck, and they were quite frequent,” Andrews said during the CNN interview, per Variety. “And I was not able to do things that I would normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses, and at night, it felt like things were running up and down my arms at certain times, and it was the nerves.”

During the fall of 2025, the 64-year-old actor learned that he has the neurodegenerative disorder known as ALS, which impacts the spinal cord and nerve cells in the brain. Andrews, who played football in college, now suspects that CTE may have played a factor in his condition.

“It appears that maybe CTE may be a source of this… we won’t know, of course, until everything is said and done and they can study the brain,” he said.

Andrews, who was not working for a while due to the Hollywood strikes, also lost his health insurance at that time. As a result, he didn’t get a proper examination of his symptoms.

“As soon as we came out of COVID, work picked up and I was able to get back,” he said. “First place I went was to Cedars-Sinai… and within 15 minutes, the primary care doctor said that she would like me to see a neurologist. One thing led to another, and here we sit.”

As she sat with her fiancée during Saturday’s interview, Tazel also talked about how the family is navigating ALS.

“When he shared the news with me… I looked at him across the room and I said, ‘At least now we know what it is — and I still want to be your wife,’” Tazel said, per Variety.

What is Russell Andrews doing to advocate for people living with ALS?

While living with ALS, Andrews is also striving to take care of others in a similar situation. As part of his mission, the Better Call Saul actor has teamed up with the ALS Network to provide free care for many more people living with the same condition. Andrews is also meeting with elected leaders to advocate for more resources for research.