Danny Glover Reveals He Has Alzheimer’s Disease in Emotional Interview Just Weeks Before His 80th Birthday

Actor Danny Glover publicly disclosed his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis Wednesday in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt that aired on the “Today” show, saying he has been living with the progressive brain disease for several years and that it has already begun to affect his speech, movement and memory.

Glover, 79, sat down with Holt at his home for the conversation, which he said he chose to have publicly in part to promote awareness of a condition that affects nearly 7 million Americans age 65 and older. The actor, best known for his role as homicide detective Roger Murtaugh in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise alongside Mel Gibson, said he received his diagnosis in 2023 and has been processing it with the help of family and close friends since then.

“I could live with it, in a sense,” Glover told Holt during the “Today” interview, but acknowledged the path ahead, adding that as the disease progresses, “things are going to be different and changing.”

The announcement came just weeks before Glover’s 80th birthday on July 22.

In a separate conversation with People magazine, Glover described coming to terms with the diagnosis and offered a philosophical reflection on what living with Alzheimer’s has meant for his sense of self.

“I still have my daughter, I have friends,” Glover told People. “I want to just say, your life continues.”

He also acknowledged the uneven nature of memory as the disease progresses.

“I’m still not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” Glover said. “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.”

Despite the gravity of the diagnosis, Glover made clear he does not view his condition as a reason to surrender.

“There’s work to do,” he said, adding that the disease does not feel like “the end of my life.”

Glover’s daughter, Mandisa, also spoke with People about her experience as a caregiver, describing the emotional complexity of watching a parent navigate the condition’s progression.

“He is aware sometimes and then sometimes not,” Mandisa said. She described the diagnosis as “a change in the core of who you think you are or don’t think you are.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is classified as a progressive brain disorder that typically begins with mild memory loss before advancing to affect an individual’s ability to carry on conversations, complete daily activities or respond to their surroundings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is currently no cure for the disease, though treatments are available that can help manage symptoms and slow some aspects of its progression for certain patients.

The scale of Alzheimer’s in the United States is significant. According to data from the Mayo Clinic, nearly 7 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with the disease, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages over the coming decades. The Alzheimer’s Association has estimated that by 2050, as many as 13 million Americans could be living with the disease if no major medical breakthrough occurs in the interim.

Glover has spent decades as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable and broadly respected figures, with a career spanning more than 50 years across film, television and stage. His role as Roger Murtaugh, the long-suffering Los Angeles police detective partnered with Mel Gibson’s volatile Martin Riggs across four “Lethal Weapon” films between 1987 and 1998, cemented his status as a mainstream cinema fixture. Among his other notable film credits are “The Color Purple,” directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985, in which Glover played the emotionally complex Mister; “Places in the Heart,” in which he starred alongside Sally Field; and “Predator 2.” His work in television earned him five Emmy Award nominations, including one for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in a biographical television film of the same name.

Beyond his film and television career, Glover built a parallel reputation as one of the entertainment industry’s most committed and outspoken social activists, a role that earned him Hollywood’s highest humanitarian recognition. In 2022, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Oscar presented to individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the film industry by promoting human welfare and contributing to addressing systemic inequities.

At the ceremony marking that award, actress Alfre Woodard paid tribute to Glover’s decades of activism, which included his role as a student organizer during his years at San Francisco State University, where he was a driving force behind a campus walkout that helped lead to the creation of the Department of Black Studies, one of the first such academic departments in the United States.

“Danny Glover always does the right thing first, without testing the prevailing winds of public opinion,” Woodard said in her tribute. “The places in his heart where he has put his time and his resources outnumber his years.”

Glover’s decision to speak openly about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis follows a pattern of public figures choosing to disclose the condition in order to reduce the stigma associated with cognitive decline in older adults and to encourage others facing similar circumstances to seek help and remain engaged with their communities. Several prominent figures across politics, entertainment and other fields have shared similar disclosures in recent years, each raising awareness of a disease that researchers have characterized as a growing public health concern for which current treatment options remain limited relative to the scale of need.

For Glover, the decision to share the news publicly also appears grounded in the same sense of purpose and engagement that has defined his personal and professional life for more than five decades, the conviction that there is always something meaningful to offer, regardless of circumstances.

“There’s work to do,” he said simply.