'Lethal Weapon' star Danny Glover reveals dealing with Alzheimer's at 80: "Not an end of my life"

• Danny Glover says he has been living with Alzheimer's for years.
• The actor revealed his diagnosis ahead of his 80th birthday.
• Glover says his family has helped him cope with the disease.
• He insists the diagnosis is "not the end" of his life.
• The Lethal Weapon star remains determined to keep working.

Hollywood veteran Danny Glover has revealed that he has been living with Alzheimer's disease for several years, sharing an emotional update on how the progressive brain disorder has changed his life while remaining hopeful about the future.

The 79-year-old Lethal Weapon star opened up about his diagnosis during an interview with NBC's Today, where he spoke candidly with Lester Holt about living with the disease and the challenges it brings.

Glover said Alzheimer's has gradually affected his speech, movement, and memory, but he is determined to keep moving forward.

"I could live with it, in a sense," Glover said.

He acknowledged that the disease will continue to progress, adding, "things are going to be different and changing."

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is a progressive brain disorder that typically begins with mild memory loss before affecting a person's ability to communicate, complete everyday tasks, and respond to their surroundings.

The actor also spoke to People magazine about receiving his diagnosis in 2023, revealing that accepting the news has been a gradual process made easier by the support of his loved ones.

"I still have my daughter, I have friends," Glover said. "I want to just say, your life continues."

Although he admits he is still processing parts of the diagnosis, Glover said he continues to find comfort in the memories he can still hold on to.

"I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it," he said. "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."

His daughter, Mandisa Glover, also spoke to People, explaining how the disease has affected her father.

She said Glover is "aware sometimes and then sometimes not," describing Alzheimer's as "a change in the core of who you think you are or don't think you are."

Despite the diagnosis, Glover remains optimistic and says he refuses to view it as the end of his journey.

"There's work to do," he told People, adding that he does not believe the diagnosis is "the end of my life."

Glover shared the news just weeks before celebrating his 80th birthday on July 22.

Throughout his decades-long career, Glover has become one of Hollywood's most respected actors. He is best known for playing Detective Roger Murtaugh opposite Mel Gibson in the blockbuster Lethal Weapon franchise. His film credits also include The Color Purple, Predator 2, and Places in the Heart, while his portrayal of Nelson Mandela earned him one of his five Emmy nominations.

Beyond acting, Glover has long been recognized for his humanitarian work and civil rights activism.

In 2022, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Oscar presented by the Academy to individuals whose humanitarian efforts have made a lasting impact on society.

During the ceremony, actress Alfre Woodard praised Glover's decades of activism, calling him "a driving force" behind the student movement that helped establish the Department of Black Studies at San Francisco State University.

She added, "Danny Glover always does the right thing first, without testing the prevailing winds of public opinion. The places in his heart where he has put his time and his resources outnumber his years."

Now, as he faces one of the biggest personal challenges of his life, Glover says he hopes others living with Alzheimer's know that life can continue with purpose, support, and hope.