‘Grey’s Anatomy’s Steven W. Bailey Reveals Neuromuscular Disorder, Wheelchair Use: “Same Actor … Now With Wheels”

A familiar face to fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Steven W. Bailey is opening up about a five-year struggle with his own health.

On Friday, the actor known for playing bartender Joe on the long-running ABC medical drama revealed his diagnosis of Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome (CMS), a neuromuscular disorder that has resulted in a growing reliance on a wheelchair.

“I would like to share something important with you about my life and my career,” he wrote in part in an X thread. “I’ve spent years being cautious, private, and quiet about something that has been shaping my life and my work. That time is over.”

Bailey added, “Out of career caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and being private about such things in general, I have been hiding my battle with this disease for over five years. Time to stop.

“CMS is a genetic disease that disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscle at the ‘nerve/muscle junction’… or whatever doctors call it,” he continued. “There are billions of these junction dodads in a body, and an increasing number of mine seem to be on the blink. Troublesome, little buggers- right? The point is: my muscles aren’t clearly receiving all my brain’s orders to do all the swell things muscles are meant to do. It’s a drag.”

The Scandal actor explained that the condition makes his limbs “tire quicker than they should, which makes them weaker than, well… anticipated,” resulting in “issues with walking.”

“I am fortunate that I am currently still able to walk the dog around the block, navigate my home, pop into the store for a quick few items, and the like on my feet,” wrote Bailey. “But the truth is, as my disease progresses, I have been using a powered wheelchair more and more to get around.”

Referring to himself as an “ambulatory wheelchair user,” he explained, “I ambulate some, then I sit, I ‘wheelchair’ about, ambulate, sit, and then, you know, ambulate.”

“Professionally, this is changing me as an actor. Much like walking my dog around the block, or helping at the store, I can still perform on my feet, limitedly. I can ambulate my way through simple “walks and talks” with no problem. I can still rise to my feet to object to the judge, derail a town meeting, or yell at a cop for being a loose cannon. But, practically speaking, moving forward, it’s time for my work, like in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair, if you will. Passed that time, really.”

Bailey added, “I am hopeful that there is still room for me in this industry that I love. I look forward to performing as characters who live their lives with a chair, creating a more representative world in film and television. … Same guy. Same actor. Same artist. Now with wheels.”