'Insecure' and 'Better Call Saul' actor reveals ALS diagnosis

"Insecure" and "Better Call Saul" actor A. Russell Andrews has been diagnosed with ALS.

The Los Angeles-based TV actor and theater star revealed the diagnosis during an appearance on CNN's "The Story Is with Elex Michaelson," with his fiancée, actress and now caregiver Erica Tazel, by his side.

Andrews, 64, revealed he was diagnosed in the fall of 2025, praising the nonprofit ALS Network for creating a sense of community for the couple following his diagnosis.

"It's been humbling, but Elex, there's also something in the fact that I walked into a family of very caring people I did not know a year ago," the actor said on air Saturday, May 16, in a segment in honor of ALS Awareness Month. "The cliché 'family,' but they have not let us miss a step in terms of care, the attention, the awareness and the ability to get me here today."

The actor recalled possible symptoms showing up during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were originally attributed as a stroke. He said during three years of not working between the pandemic and "back-to-back" 2023 actors and writers' strikes, he noticed frequent "twitches," what felt like pinched nerves and fine motor problems like dropping cups.

"Those were signs that were missed. And because I wasn't working for about three years, I lost my insurance," the actor, also known for roles in "Straight Outta Compton" and "Grey's Anatomy," added.

Andrews was able to get work again, and soon after getting back coverage, he went to LA's Cedars-Sinai hospital, which eventually led to his diagnosis.

Tazel, known for roles in "Justified" and "Lovecraft Country," said she is still processing it all. "When he originally shared with me, I say I was uncharacteristically calm, and in a way, it was an answer to a lot of questions that we had," the 49-year-old actress said.

The couple has advocated for ALS research funding in Congress. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a nervous system disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and causes loss of muscle control, according to Mayo Clinic. It's a progressive disease, in that as the brain loses connection with the muscles, it slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe. For people with ALS, the most common cause of death is breathing failure. There is currently no cure.

Per Mayo Clinic, people with ALS typically live three to five years after their diagnosis, though some live for a decade or longer. In one of the most notable recent ALS diagnoses in Hollywood, Eric Dane died in February, less than two years after his diagnosis.

Tazel told Michaelson that Andrews' diagnosis has taught her that love "is truly unconditional."

"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,'" she said.