Hollywood Legend Danny Glover Battles Alzheimer’s: Daughter Mandisa Details the Emotional Toll of Care

The daughter of award-winning actor and activist Danny Glover has opened up about her father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, detailing her role as a caregiver and the cognitive shifts she first witnessed in the Hollywood icon.

In an interview with her father, Mandisa Glover shared the day-to-day realities of helping care for the 79-year-old performer. “I think he’s aware sometimes and then sometimes not,” she said.

The diagnosis has brought personal adjustments for the actor himself, who openly addressed his ongoing processing of the cognitive condition. “I’m still not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” Danny Glover admitted. “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.”

Mandisa Glover, Danny Glover’s only child with his first wife, Asake Bomani, said she first noticed changes in her father’s behavior in 2022. The shift stood out because of his historically meticulous recall. “The history of my dad is that he remembers every single thing back to 1970, what corner he was standing on, who he spoke to, what they spoke about, what color they were wearing, everything,” she said. “He’d tell you so much about his parents — and I’ve heard those stories over and over — and pieces were missing. I said, ‘I wonder what’s going on.’”

Today, the actor is supported at his longtime San Francisco townhouse by Mandisa Glover, professional caregivers, and his younger brother, Marty Glover, 67, who lives with him.

The disease’s progression has been an emotional experience for Marty Glover, who witnessed his brother’s talents up close while working in film production. “You see the deterioration, and you think, ‘Wow,’” he said. “Sometimes you get emotional about it. It’s tough, because you don’t want to see nobody go through this.”

Marty Glover said the actor’s real-life personality stands in contrast to his role as the villainous Mister in The Color Purple. “Everybody thinks he’s Mister,” he said. “But he’s the greatest guy I ever met in my life. He saved me. I’ve been to jails, institutions, used drugs. Growing up, we weren’t close until I started getting into trouble. And then he came and got me out and moved me down to Hollywood, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Despite the progression of the disease, Danny Glover maintains vivid recollections of his mother, who died in an automobile accident the same day he learned he had landed his breakthrough role in the 1984 film Places in the Heart. He frequently shares a memory of her realizing his professional capability after a theatrical performance. “Guess what my mother wanted to be? An actress,” he said. He recalled her words: “She says, ‘Son, the people said you can act,’” adding, “My girl, man. We argued like girlfriend and boyfriend.”

Mandisa Glover said she has stepped into a similar role to support him. “We argue a lot,” she said. “I mean, I’m the representative of his mother. I’ve taken on that role. He needs to argue with somebody, and it’s got to be me. But it’s all love.”

Reflecting on the family’s caregiving circumstances, she added, “It’s either this, or he’s not here. I’m grateful.” The family remains focused on ensuring his comfort. “We just want him to live his best life,” Marty said, “like he made us live ours.”

Glover’s diagnosis follows a decades-long career highlighted by four Emmy nominations, honors from the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television, and Screen Actors Guild nominations. In 2022, he received the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. His career also extended to global advocacy, including serving as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program from 1998 to 2004, where he focused on poverty, disease, and economic development in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.