Russell Andrews opens up about ALS, his fiancee's devotion, his children's hidden fears and why he now feels he is "on the clock." The Russell Andrews Says He’s ‘On The Clock’ In Emotional Confession About Fiancée Amid ALS Battle first appeared on The Blast

Russell Andrews knows that an ALS diagnosis changes the conversation around the future. But rather than retreat from public life, the actor has chosen a different path, one built around advocacy, visibility, and gratitude for the people standing beside him. 

In a deeply personal new interview, Andrews reflected on the uncertainty of living with the progressive disease, the fear he felt for his children, and the emotional reality of watching his fiancée remain committed through a battle neither of them expected.

Russell Andrews Says His Fiancée’s Commitment Carries A Different Weight Now

An ALS diagnosis affects more than the person receiving it, and Russell Andrews is acutely aware of that reality.

While discussing his relationship with actress and fiancée, Erica Tazel, Andrews became emotional as he reflected on what her support had meant since learning he had the progressive neurological disease. 

More than a decade younger than him, Tazel has remained committed through a period that has forced both of them to confront difficult questions about the future.

For Andrews, that loyalty was impossible to overlook because he understood exactly what she was giving up.

The actor explained that their profession often demanded complete mental, emotional, and physical focus. Yet Tazel continued to devote time and energy to supporting him and helping his family through an increasingly challenging chapter.

“But to take away from that time, to give that to me, or to be a shoulder or a hug, or some piece for my children, it takes so much away from her,” he told the Daily Mail.

What moved him most was that her commitment had never wavered. He shared, “And then to still be on the same page with me, to still say ‘yes’ in spite of all that’s going on.”

That perspective was what led Andrews to make perhaps his most heartbreaking admission. “I’m kind of on the clock,” he said.

Andrews Turned A Personal Health Crisis Into An ALS Mission

Those thoughts about time have also shaped how Russell Andrews approaches his diagnosis publicly.

Instead of disappearing from the spotlight, the Peppermint” actor has increasingly embraced advocacy work, using his experience to bring attention to ALS and the urgent need for research. 

Speaking alongside EverythingALS founder Indu Navar, Andrews explained that he now saw awareness as part of his responsibility.

He referenced the many public figures who had battled the disease, including Eric Dane, while emphasizing that no single person carried the fight alone.

According to him, “I will not say that I grabbed the mantle, if you will, you know, the baton. However, I do understand what my place is right now, and we all need visibility.”

Meanwhile, the 64-year-old refuses to surrender to the idea that ALS will always remain incurable. In fact, he has already mapped out a future for himself that stretches far beyond what many might expect after such a diagnosis.

“I have a 20-year plan,” Andrews revealed. His goal is simple: stay around long enough to witness the breakthrough patients have spent decades hoping for. In his words, “I plan to be here on the day when someone walks in with that bottle and says, ‘We have it. We figured it out.’”

Russell Andrews Kept His Diagnosis From His Children Until He Could Tell Them Face-To-Face

Long before Andrews began speaking publicly, he was carrying the news privately.

After years of unexplained symptoms, including numbness in his fingers, weakness, and repeatedly dropping things, he eventually sought treatment at Cedars-Sinai. Initially, he believed he might have suffered a stroke.

“I thought it was a stroke because my symptoms were dropping things, numbness in my fingers,” he told the outlet 

Instead, doctors eventually reached a very different conclusion. He explained, “Through the process of elimination, it ended up being that it was ALS after the final test.”

The diagnosis brought immediate questions about how much time he had left, but doctors couldn’t provide a definitive answer. Yet Andrews said the hardest conversation wasn’t with his neurologist. It was with his children.

He deliberately held onto the diagnosis until he could gather them together in person, unwilling to deliver life-changing news through a phone call or text message.

The actor described his children as his best friends and said they had remained remarkably strong throughout the ordeal. Even so, he knows the burden they carry often surfaces only in private moments, moments no parent ever wants their children to face.

More From The Blast

• Before his death, Eric Dane admitted he was “angry” ALS was taking him away from his young daughters.
• Eric Dane left fans emotional with his powerful return to acting on “Brilliant Minds”.
• Patrick Dempsey opened up about Eric Dane’s difficult final days and rapid decline.
• Eric Dane’s girlfriend broke her silence after his death with intimate memories of their time together.
• Katherine Heigl shared an emotional tribute to her former “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star.
• Shonda Rhimes addressed the controversy after Eric Dane was left out of the Oscars’ In Memoriam segment.

Andrews Was In Denial Before Deciding To Go Public With Diagnosis

The reality of living with ALS did not hit Russell Andrews all at once. While the actor has been remarkably candid since announcing his diagnosis, he has admitted that accepting the disease was a process. 

In fact, after receiving the news, his first instinct was not to become an advocate or public face for awareness efforts. It was to retreat and try to make sense of what had happened.

Speaking to PEOPLE in August, Andrews acknowledged that he struggled to fully believe the diagnosis at first. 

“I went home a little numb,” he told the outlet, adding, “I think I was in denial, to be honest. I have to pull the ego out for a moment, but I was. Because I wasn’t showing signs of rapid decline.”

Like many patients, Andrews found himself confronting questions that have no easy answers. He admitted one of his earliest reactions was to ask why this had happened to him. 

However, Andrews said his outlook began to shift after attending an ALS event earlier this year.

Instead of focusing on himself, he found himself surrounded by patients, caregivers, and families all navigating the same devastating disease. The experience changed how he viewed his own situation.

The actor ultimately realized that remaining silent no longer felt like an option. “But I ran out of reasons not to,” he shared. That realization ultimately became a turning point.

Eric Dane’s Rapid Decline Became A Sobering Reminder Of What ALS Can Do

Before Russell Andrews’ diagnosis, Eric Dane’s public battle with the disease unfolded in front of millions of people and demonstrated just how quickly life can change after an ALS diagnosis.

In April 2025, the “Euphoria” star publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS.

“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane said in a statement to PEOPLE, adding, “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.” 

Even after sharing the diagnosis, Dane remained committed to working. He continued filming “Euphoria” and later gave an emotional television interview in which he discussed how rapidly the disease was progressing.

By June 2025, he revealed that he had lost the use of his right arm. In subsequent months, reports documented increasing mobility challenges as the disease advanced. 

What made Dane’s story particularly devastating was the speed of the decline. ALS patients can experience dramatically different timelines, and Dane’s became one of the most visible examples of how unpredictable the disease can be.

Tragically, on February 19, 2026, Dane died at age 53, less than a year after publicly disclosing his diagnosis. His family later shared that he spent his final days surrounded by those closest to him.

The Russell Andrews Says He’s ‘On The Clock’ In Emotional Confession About Fiancée Amid ALS Battle first appeared on The Blast