Gray’s Anatomy actor Steven W. Bailey has revealed a neuromuscular dysfunction has left him requiring a wheelchair.
On Friday (January 2), Bailey – identified for enjoying the bartender Joe within the long-running ABC medical drama – shared the information that he had been identified with Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome (CMS) in a sequence of posts on his X account.
“I want to share one thing essential with you about my life and my profession,” he wrote. “I’ve spent years being cautious, non-public, and quiet about one thing that has been shaping my life and my work. That point is over.”
“Out of profession warning, diagnostic uncertainty, and being non-public about such issues usually, I’ve been hiding my battle with this illness for over 5 years. Time to cease.”
It’s possible you’ll know me from Gray’s Anatomy as Joe the bartender — or from appearances on Trendy Household, You, Chicago Fireplace, or another look.
I want to share one thing essential with you about my life and my profession.
🧵👇
— Steven W. Bailey (@theStevenBailey) January 3, 2026
Bailey, who has additionally appeared in Buffy, Angel and NCIS, continued: “CMS is a genetic illness that disrupts the communication between the mind and the muscle on the ‘nerve/muscle junction’… or no matter docs name it. There are billions of those junction dodads in a physique, and an growing variety of mine appear to be on the blink. Troublesome, little buggers – proper? The purpose is: my muscle groups aren’t clearly receiving all my mind’s orders to do all of the swell issues muscle groups are supposed to do. It’s a drag.”
He defined that the situation makes his limbs “tire faster than they need to”, leaving him with “points with strolling”.
Referring to his growing reliance on a wheelchair, he added: “I ambulate some, then I sit, I ‘wheelchair’ about, ambulate, sit, after which, you understand, ambulate.”
Similar man.
Similar actor.
Similar artist.
Now with wheels.— Steven W. Bailey
— Steven W. Bailey (@theStevenBailey) January 3, 2026
“Professionally, that is altering me as an actor. Very similar to strolling my canine across the block, or serving to on the retailer, I can nonetheless carry out on my toes, limitedly. I can ambulate my method via easy “walks and talks” with no drawback. I can nonetheless rise to my toes to object to the decide, derail a city assembly, or yell at a cop for being a free cannon. However, virtually talking, shifting ahead, it’s time for my work, like in my life, to begin skewing extra wheelchair, if you’ll. Handed that point, actually.”
Bailey concluded: “I’m hopeful that there’s nonetheless room for me on this business that I really like. I look ahead to performing as characters who reside their lives with a chair, making a extra consultant world in movie and tv. … Similar man. Similar actor. Similar artist. Now with wheels.”
Final 12 months, Bailey’s Gray’s Anatomy co-star Eric Dane revealed he had been identified with ALS illness. “I’m grateful to have my loving household by my facet as we navigate this subsequent chapter,” he stated.
