Samuel L Jackson Had 6 Family Members Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s
Prominent Caregivers: Samuel L. Jackson
There are over 40 million family caregivers in the United States who all share similar stories of struggle, but as a somewhat uncomfortable and deeply personal subject, a lot of caregivers dont know how many people they can relate to. By highlighting celebrity caregivers our goal is to show just how widespread caregiving is.
Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most famous actors of his generation. From voicing Frozone in The Incredibles, being a centerpiece of The Avengers universe, and starring in many of Quentin Tarantinos movies, he is a Hollywood icon.
Off the screen, he has been involved in multiple campaigns for Alzheimers research. He personally had six members of his family pass with the disease.
“My grandfather was the first to be affected…He was my best friend when I was growing up. It was heartbreaking to reach a point where he didn’t know who I wasI don’t think anybody should suffer the heartbreak of having someone who has nurtured you, taken care of you and loves you reach a point where they can’t even call your name.”
Eventually, his mom would be diagnosed too. “The same happened with my mother soon after she was diagnosed. It is so cruel having someone who has nurtured you and taken care of you reach a point where they cant even recall your name.
The actor has worked hard over the last decade to help the cause.
You can watch the video here.
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Samuel L Jackson Calls ‘ptolemy Grey’ An Alzheimer’s Fairy Tale
LOS ANGELES, March 10 — Samuel L. Jackson calls his new TV series, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, premiering Friday on Apple TV+, a modern-day fairy tale.
In the adaptation of Walter Mosley’s book, Jackson, 73, plays Ptolemy Grey, a 91-year-old man with dementia given a chance to temporarily regain his memories.
“Walter created a drug and a person that comes with a cure,” Jackson said on a recent Television Critics Association Zoom panel. “It’s not a real thing.”
Since there is no real-life cure for Alzheimer’s disease, Jackson said Ptolemy Grey offers wish fulfillment for people dealing with it. The fictional treatment allows Grey to recall his memories one more time before losing them again.
“It’s based in the reality of, yes, someone who has lost himself over the years,” Jackson said.
Jackson, a co-producer, said he had tried to set up an adaptation of Mosley’s book for 10 years after growing up with a grandfather, uncle, aunt, mother and extended family members who had Alzheimer’s.
“I watched them change, deteriorate and become different people over the years,” he said.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is about Grey reclaiming his self-worth in a world that abandoned him.
“You are still a worthwhile individual, even though a lot of people discard you,” Jackson said. “Like some people say, some garbage is other people’s treasure.”
Jackson said he always separates his work from his real-life emotions.
But he can relate to simple memory loss issues.
Alzheimers Symptoms And Treatment
Alzheimers disease is one of the most common forms of dementia. Many people in the United States live with Alzheimers, and scientists do not know what causes the condition exactly. Multiple factors can contribute to the risk of the disease, such as family history and age.
Dementia impacts a persons memory, thought, and language. An individual can struggle with daily activities, and some do not recognize loved ones in the later stages. One of the initial warning signs of Alzheimers is mild memory issues. Symptoms can vary from patient to patient.
Other signs include vision, impaired judgment, walking, and problem-solving. Medical science has made plenty of progress in developing new treatments. Several prescription medications exist to help slow the progression of Alzheimers or manage symptoms.
Some facilities have families make a Good morning video to ensure loved ones feel secure and take their medicine. Many celebrities have brought awareness to Alzheimers and its research. According to the Alzheimers Association, representatives include Rita Wilson, Tony Hawk, Wayne Brady, and Candace Parker.
Recommended Reading: Uab Alzheimer’s Disease Center
Samuel L Jackson Knows People Who Battled Alzheimers
Some actors find it hard to play dementia patients when they had a family member deal with Alzheimers. According to CareZare, Jackson has had six loved ones battle the condition. The actor has shared about who has or had the disease, and the first one was his grandfather.
It was heartbreaking to reach a point where he didnt know who I wasI dont think anybody should suffer the heartbreak of having someone who has nurtured you, taken care of you and loves you reach a point where they can t even call your name, Jackson expressed.
Jacksons mother later received a diagnosis, and he struggled to watch her forget who he was. He had participated in several campaigns to fund research. Once, the star teamed up with Alzheimers Research UKs #ShareTheOrange campaign. Jackson even held a fundraiser on Reddit for $100,000.
Needless to say, plenty of people pitched in to meet the goal. Jackson has had fears of developing Alzheimers as well. However, he performs mental exercises to keep a positive outlook. Over the years, Jackson has been a strong advocate for the fight against Alzheimers.
Samuel L Jackson Is Yet To Win An Oscar
Jackson has surprisingly fallen short of winning the Oscars despite his array of acting credits and standing in the film industry. The closest he came to the prize was in 1994s Pulp Fiction, portraying Jules Winnfield, a wig-wearing, religious hitman and partner in crime to John Travoltas Vincent Vega.
While Jackson will receive an Honorary Oscar this month, canceling out his loss to Martin Landau, who won for Tim Burtons Ed Wood, the iconic actor still feels that Pulp Fiction should have bested the eventual winner at the 1994 edition of the award ceremony.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Jackson said he should have won that one, referring to his Pulp Fiction character. He further narrated his surprise that Denzel Washington got nominated for his antagonist feature in Training Day instead of his titular role in Malcolm X, also alluding that the Oscars were biased towards a movies popularity.
The first and second episodes of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey dropped on March 11th, with the next episode coming on March 18th.
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Samuel L Jackson Fears Alzheimers Diagnosis
Kenny Kixx brings years of experience between Hot 96 3 Boom 102.9 and here on 106.7 WTLC. His time as a nightclub DJ has finely tuned his feel for the music that moves the people. He also shows this connection to his audience via his consistent social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instgram.
Samuel L. Jackson attends as many fundraisers for Alzheimers disease as he can because hes convinced hell be diagnosed with dementia before he dies. Jackson fears hell follow in the footsteps of relatives that have succumbed to the condition.
He says,
My grandfather had Alzheimers, my maternal and paternal grandmothers had it, my mom died from it last year, her sisters got it. Because its around me like that, Im kind of waiting on that day where I walk in a room and dont know why Im there.Im going to do all I can to help people because of that.
And Jackson is also hoping to raise awareness about the disease by playing a 91-year-old man struggling to cope with Alzheimers in a new film.
He tells Playboy, The one old-guy story I want to do is a great book by Walter Mosley, The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray, about a 91-year-old guy with Alzheimers who is told by a doctor that he can give him all his cognitive functions back, but hell die in a week. He does it because he has some s**t he wants to get together.
The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey
In a chat with U.K.s i news, Jackson discussed his latest project, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, where he stars as a nonagenarian suffering dementia-associated effects of Alzheimers. The actor, who is just two decades from catching up with his characters age, alluded to this similarity in the interview.
Im getting older every day, Jackson told the news outlet. Im kind of old. I know a lot about getting old! I have been around for a while.
The new Apple TV+ series is based on a Walt Mosley novel of the same name and would chronicle the quest of Jacksons character to investigate the death of his cousin after he gets an opportunity to regain his memories for a short while.
All six episodes have been given a title, with the first dubbed as Reggie and the finale as Ptolemy. Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Damon Gupton, Cynthia McWilliams, Omar Benson Miller, Maury Ginsberg, and JoAnn Willette will also feature in the show.
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Die Hard With A Vengeance
For 1995, Bruce Willis he had appeared in two films with Samuel L. Jackson, but without sharing any scenes together. That changed with Williss second retaliation against Die Hard hero John McClane. Die Hard with a Vengeance is sometimes praised as the second best of the franchise, mainly due to the great chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis as reluctant and quarreling partners. It was great to see them finally headline a movie together, and even better the next time they did.
Samuel L Jackson Has Watched 6 Family Members Battle The Heartbreaking Diagnosis Of Alzheimers Disease
Samuel L. Jackson has been in some of the biggest films in the past few decades. While a few directors find him hard to work with, Jackson is a caring person off-screen. He has involved himself in campaigns and charities for Alzheimers disease.
The understanding of Alzheimers has come a long way, but scientists still try to create better treatments. Jackson wants to help fund research due to personal reasons. Multiple family members of his have had Alzheimers.
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Samuel L Jackson Opens Up About His Experience With Alzheimers
Tough-guy action icon Samuel L. Jackson opens up about the history of Alzheimers disease in his family during this heartfelt interview prior to a charity golf tournament. The Hollywood legend reveals he has lost several family members to the disease, including his mother who died in 2012.
Hear his words in the video below!
Alzheimers continues to grow costlier, and the prevalence of this tragic disease only continues to grow.
Many American elders depend on Medicare for coverage of treatment they need during their golden years, but Medicare does not cover long-term care for Alzheimers leaving family and loved ones to shoulder a care burden currently estimated to be worth over $217 billion.
This cannot continue!
You can help Americas Alzheimers patients by signing our petition demanding Medicare step up and cover 100% of long-term care for any person with Alzheimers or other dementias whose doctor has recommended it.
Sign the petition here.
Samuel L Jackson Says His Family Inspired The Film
Compared with other past films that have starred Jackson, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey seemed like an odd choice for the actor. However, the Oscar nominee explained that filming the drama series was in response to some of his family members, including his mother and grandfather, falling under the deep-reaching effects of Alzheimers in their advanced years.
As they passed on, I just became more determined to tell this story and get it out there, he stated. And make sure people understand that the people they loved are still there, inside that person, so you cant throw them away. You have to care for them and love them as if theyre still contributing to your life.
While The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey might seem like a cinematic ode to Alzheimers dementia, Jackson revealed that the project was beyond that, adding that there is a sci-fi angle to the series as well as a detective-like plot in line with the shows book origin.
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During the series CTAM panel on Friday, Jackson spoke about embodying the titular character and tapping into his personal experiences with Alzheimers.
Im from a family where I felt like I was surrounded by Alzheimers, he shared, noting various members of his family who have been inflicted with the disease. Ive watched them change, deteriorate and become different people over the years.
He added that he also hopes the series will validate the experience of those dealing with loved ones battle with Alzheimers.
When it comes to bringing Mosleys words to screen the author praised his lead cast, noting they did an extraordinary job at making the book look and feel like it wanted it to be, wanted the series to become.
The series also features Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Damon Gupton, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Walton Goggins and Omar Miller.
The series will debut with two episodes, with new episodes dropping weekly, every Friday.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Watch the trailer above.
Samuel L Jackson Brings Personal Experience With Dementia To ‘the Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey’ On Appletv+
Samuel L. Jackson takes on the emotional, personal role of a man with dementia, alongside Walton Goggins, Dominique Fishback and Omar Benson Miller in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, now streaming on AppleTV+, based on the novel by award-winning author Walter Mosley.
I read the novel 10, 12 years ago and I’ve always thought Ptolemy was just fascinating and a wonderfully, I guess in my mind, cinematic character that I thought would be fun to play, Jackson, who plays the lead role of Ptolemy Grey and serves as executive producer of the series, alongside his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson, said ahead of the series premiere.
In the midst of all that fun to play I realized, OK I’m dealing with my grandfather and my mom and her brother and her sister, these people all have Alzheimer’s, dementia, and I’m kind of surrounded by it I gathered more poignancy in terms of what it meant, in terms of my life and who I was and what I was dealing with, and how I would want to present this story to the world.
When we initially meet Ptolemy in the series, hes forgotten most of his family members and frankly, his life to date. Whats unique about The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is that while Ptolemys deterioration is clearly seen in the series, its not a story thats led by his weakness.
Ptolemy still remembers his nephew Reggie Lloyd , who supports Ptolemy and helps him run errands.
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‘breaking Up This Myth Of The Black Culture Being Monolithic’
Particularly unique to this character is Robyns relationship with Niecie . Theyre not family but shes basically the closest thing Robyn has to family, which causes unique tensions to rise amid the love and support.
When it comes to the different aspects of family relationships that are explored throughout the series, Omar Benson Miller highlighted that The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is breaking up this myth of the Black culture being monolithic.
This is a dynamic representation of a real family and a multigenerational, real experience, he said. Warts and all, as they say, flawed people who are doing their best in life.
I think we can always deal with telling more stories, seeing it being told more often, in different ways, that shows that the Black family is not just about trauma, that there’s joy, that there’s intrigue, that there is love, Marsha Stephanie Blake added.
I think the difference we’re seeing now is that these stories are being told by the people who have lived them, and so we’re getting, finally, to a place of honesty and authenticity that feels real and feels varied, becausethe people making the decisions, they look like us.
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Then the series enters the realm of the fantastic. Robyn finds a note indicating a doctors appointment and delivers Ptolemy to Dr. Rubin , who has developed a treatment a magic potion, in essence that can restore dementia patients to something better than normal cognition. Faster than you can say Damn Yankees, Ptolemy becomes quite another person the years fall off. There is a swing in his step, a twinkle in his eye.
He has the gift of total recall, and sets about putting things in order in the time he has left: finding out who killed Reggie and remembering the what, where and why of the treasure his Uncle Coydog entrusted to him when he was a small child. Until the fog clears he knows it only as made of the suffering of Black folks, hidden in a little box made out of metal and wood behind a red rock way down in a well and meant for Ptolemy to use to help our people.
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The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Where: Apple TV+
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How Samuel L Jackson Fights Against Fear Of Dementia
73-year-old actor has family history of dementia
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is a new show due to premiere on Apple+, with Samuel L. Jackson heavily involved, yet the 73-year-old actor has his own fears of dementia and battles against them in his own way.
Perhaps best remembered for his role as , Jackson has enjoyed a career spanning decades with significant acclaim coming from the acting fraternity, yet thar doesn’t halt the ageing process.
This is a fact that he is all too aware of, with the new Apple+ series focused on how a family lives with a case of dementia, something that he had to do in real life with his grandfather suffering with the disease.
“I identified a lot with her because I was living it with my grandfather, my mother, her brother, her sister,” Jackson told Cadena Ser.
“All those people in my family suffered from Alzheimer’s or dementia, and I’ve seen the light go out in the eyes of many people.
“I wanted to pay tribute to those lives of the people who nurtured and cared for me, and present them in an honourable and understandable way.”
Jackson knows that, given his family history, he is at an increased risk of developing the disease himself, but he feels as though his work keeps it at bay.
“I don’t know if I’m as capable as I was when it comes to learning lines,” he added.