Pushing your limits as an actor is nothing new to Samuel L. Jackson. But the filming of his current series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” demanded a lot from the Hollywood star. Because his role confronts the 73-year-old with a long-held fear.
Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most successful and well-known actors in the world. Despite this, the Hollywood legend has always remained humble. Maybe because he knows that all that money can’t save him from illness and death? What many do not know: Samuel L. Jackson is plagued by the fear of developing dementia.
Dementia runs in his family
In the series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, which is available on Apple TV+, Samuel L. Jackson plays a 91-year-old with dementia. Not only is Ptolemy gradually losing his memory, but most of his family is turning their backs on him. When his nephew is murdered, Ptolemy Gray is given the opportunity to temporarily regain his memory. But the price for this is high.
With the series, which he and his wife LaTanya produced, Samuel L. Jackson tackles a sensitive subject that is close to his heart. Because the US star is personally affected by dementia and is afraid of getting sick himself, as he says on the late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live”: “My mother had Alzheimer’s, my grandfather had Alzheimer’s, her brother, her sister , my father’s sister. I’m surrounded by it.” And his wife LaTanya reveals in the magazine “People“It’s such an insidious disease. It’s a horror to watch. And we watched his mother go through it.”
Also interesting: How loneliness in old age changes the brain and promotes dementia
Jackson’s fear of developing dementia himself
It was bad enough that the 73-year-old had to watch members of his family suffer from the disease. But the actor is also afraid of dementia himself: “So every time I can’t remember something, I think: Oh no, now it starts,” he tells talk show host Jimmy Kimmel – and adds jokingly: “Often I walk into a room and wonder what I was doing there.” While the actor takes the subject with humor, there seems to be a serious concern.
Does the actor have legitimate cause for concern?
But is his concern justified? In fact, the disease is hereditary. But only one percent of all cases are hereditary, as the Alzheimer Research Initiative eV explains.1 So far, three genes are known to be responsible for this form of dementia. If one of these genes has mutations, the disease will break out in any case. Those affected usually develop the disease very early, between the ages of 30 and 65. Since Samuel L. Jackson is already 73, his fear of developing dementia because of his family history seems to be unjustified. But that only applies to the hereditary variant.
Also interesting: According to the study, the fitter you are, the better you are protected against Alzheimer’s
In 99 percent of all cases, age is the biggest risk factor. The typical symptoms – forgetfulness, speech disorders, personality changes – usually only begin after the age of 65.2 But genetics seem to play a role here, too. The change in the gene apolipoprotein epsilon 4 (ApoE4) increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. According to the latest scientific knowledge, the ApoE4-Ge plays a role in up to 25 percent of all Alzheimer’s cases.
“You deserve to be taken care of”
For the Hollywood star, his family history is reason enough to draw attention to the disease: “When they died, I became more and more determined to tell this story and bring it to the public,” said the actor in an interview MIC. His appeal: “Make sure people understand that the people they loved are still there. They’re still in there, you can’t throw them away. You must take care of them and love them as if they still contribute to your life.”
Also interesting: 3 nutrients in green vegetables and orange fruit can protect against dementia
With his role in the series, Samuel L. Jackson wants to show “that these people, despite their illness, still have value and meaning and that they still deserve to be cared for.” Even though they can no longer communicate with the outside world, it is their minds are still active and they need love and care, the Hollywood star said.