Danny Glover sat down with Lester Holt on Wednesday morning and told the Today show that he has been living with Alzheimer's disease for several years, making public what his family had been navigating privately since his diagnosis in 2022, the same year he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governors Awards.
He is 79 years old. He turns 80 on July 22.
"I can live with it, in a sense," Glover said. "I'm sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing."
He told People magazine, which ran an exclusive interview alongside the Today appearance, that he is not fully at peace with all of it yet. "I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it. 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."
But on the broader question of what the diagnosis means for his life, he was direct:
"I want to just say, your life continues."
His daughter Mandisa noticed the first signs in 2022, pieces missing from the stories her father, who had always remembered everything, could no longer tell completely.
She described the experience with the honesty of someone who loves someone and is watching them change.
His youngest brother Martin appeared alongside him on Today. "He took me under his wing, and I love him to death," Martin said. "And I'm here to help him now. It's my turn."
Glover is one of the most than 7 million Americans over 65 living with Alzheimer's.
He is working with the Alzheimer's Association as part of going public.
His career, Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple, Beloved, more than 170 credits across nearly 40 years, is not the subject he wanted to focus on. He wanted to tell people he is still here. "There's work to do," he said.
If you or someone you know is dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia, the Alzheimer's Association helpline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-272-3900.