US actor Danny Glover says he has Alzheimer’s

LOS ANGELES: “Lethal Weapon” star Danny Glover revealed Wednesday that he has Alzheimer’s disease and is leaning on his family for support as he lives with the incurable condition.

The actor, who appeared in critical hits including “The Color Purple” and “Mandela”, as well as all four installments of Mel Gibson’s maverick cop franchise, told NBC’s Lester Holt he has been coping with the condition for several years.

“I can live with it, in a sense,” said Glover, 79. “I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing.”

Glover said the neurodegenerative disease has affected his speech and slowed his movement, but that his family help him.

“They’ve got my back,” he said.

Glover, who won an honorary Academy Award in 2022 in recognition of his humanitarian work, is a prolific actor with an impressive range.

Memorable cinematic roles have included a corrupt police officer in the Harrison Ford thriller “Witness” and a comedy turn in Wes Anderson’s eccentric “The Royal Tenenbaums”, opposite Gene Hackman.

He has also had a prolific television career, with recurring roles in standards including “Hill Street Blues” and “ER”.

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior and progressively worsens, according to The Alzheimer’s Association.

It usually affects people 65 and older. Those who are diagnosed with the condition live an average of four to eight years after diagnosis, though some live much longer.