Celebrities living with ALS as Eric Dane dies less than a year after revealing diagnosis
Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane's tragic death yesterday has drawn renewed attention to the rare motor neuron condition ALS, which has affected a number of other well-known figures.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a terminal neurodegenerative illness with few treatments and no known cure that causes muscles to weaken and stiffen until those affected are unable to walk, eat, or speak unassisted.
54-year-old Euphoria actor Dane, in his last public message, shared with a charity how the debilitating health condition 'takes something from me every day', an experience shared with the 35,000 other Americans living with ALS.
A number of celebrities have shared their struggle with the rare disease, most famously astrophysicist Stephen Hawking but also people like Killing Me Softly singer Roberta Flack and SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg.
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Sadly, all of these artists and great thinkers have since passed, but a number of other celebrities have spoken publicly about living with ALS.
Aaron Lazar
Actor, singer, and Broadway star Aaron Lazar shared with the world that he had ALS in 2024, after being diagnosed with the condition two years beforehand.
Having scored roles across some of the biggest stage productions of the past decade, as well as getting screen credits in hits like the Wolf of Wall Street and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
After revealing his diagnosis to the public, Lazar released a star-studded album that featured some of the biggest names in music, with the aim of raising money for ALS research.
In addition to names like Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the album Impossible Dream also featured a duet with Rebecca Luker, another Broadway actor with ALS who sadly died in 2020.
Eric Stevens
Fullback football player Eric Stevens is one of a number of football players who have been diagnosed with ALS over the years, including former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark and player turned commentator Tim Green.
Stevens moved on to become a firefighter after his NFL career, tragically receiving his ALS diagnosis in 2019 at the unusually young age of 29, just a month after getting married.
After successfully campaigning to access a non-FDA approved medicine, NurOwn, to slow the progression of the disease, Stevens' wife has credited this drug with her husband still being able to 'sing to his two year old daughter Peyton, read her books, and teach her about animals, birds, sports and the many other things he loves.'
Steve Gleason
Former safety for the New Orleans Saints, Steve Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, just three years after retiring from the NFL.
His initial struggle with the disease was captured over the course of the following five years, culminating in the well-recieved documentary Gleason, which was praised for its clear-eyed representation of ALS and its difficulties.
Gleason would go on to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019 for his contributions to ALS awareness and charitable efforts to tackle the condition.
John Driskell Hopkins
The co-founder and bassist of Grammy-winning group Zac Brown Band, John Driskell Hopkins, has been living with ALS for close to four years, following his diagnosis at the age of 51.
Announcing the condition in 2022, Hopkins told his fans: "Over the past several years, I've noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands. After careful analysis by some of the country's top neurologists, I have been diagnosed with ALS. Because my symptoms have been slow progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward.
"God willing, I plan to be rocking with these amazing people for many years to come."
Despite the development of his debilitating neurodegenerative condition, Hopkins has continued to tour and perform with his various musical projects.
Jason Becker
In the annals of influential metal guitarists, Cacophany founder Jason Becker is one of the greats, despite his aspirations being curtailed when he was just 21 following an ALS diagnosis
The highly technical neoclassical metal band's co-founder, Marty Friedman, would go on to help take Megadeth into its 90s golden era after the pair went on to forge solo careers in 1990.
Even though ALS would rapidly take away Becker's ability to sing, speak, and play guitar, Becker's genius could not be held back. While struggling with the crippling disease, he would continue to compose and collaborate with other artists on a number of solo albums - even though he can only communicate by moving his eyes.
William Morgan