Read about celebrities like Eric Dane and Stephen Hawking who fought ALS while inspiring others and advocating for research
From Lou Gehrig in 1939 to Eric Dane in 2025, celebrities have publicly dealt with what is now known as ALS for decades.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a terminal neurodegenerative disorder. The disease causes the individual to gradually lose control of their muscles, beginning gradually with muscle stiffness or twitches and evolving to completely eliminate their ability to eat and breathe.
Since Gehrig’s death in 1941, dozens of additional public figures battled the disease. American physicist Stephen Hawking first started exhibiting symptoms of ALS in 1963 and, despite being given only two years to live, survived until 2018, raising awareness along the way.
Despite advancements that have been able to slow the disease and manage symptoms, there remains no cure. Dane announced his diagnosis in April 2025, saying in a statement to People, “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he continued. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Keep scrolling for more celebrities who have fought ALS.
Dane, known for playing Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, revealed his diagnosis in April 2025 at age 52.
Hawking had a slow-progressing form of ALS, allowing him to survive decades before his death in 2018 at age 76. In that time, he continued his work as a theoretical physicist and became a role model for those with neurodegenerative disorders.
