‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor Reveals Rare Incurable Neuromuscular Diagnosis

Steven W. Bailey, best known to "Grey’s Anatomy" fans as Joe, the warmhearted bar owner whose pub became a second home for Seattle Grace doctors, is opening up about a deeply personal health battle he’s been quietly facing for years. The 54-year-old actor revealed this week that he has been diagnosed with congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), a rare, genetic neuromuscular condition that disrupts communication between nerve and muscle cells, leading to progressive muscle weakness. Bailey shared the news in a candid X (formerly Twitter) thread, explaining that while he has lived with symptoms for more than five years, he deliberately kept his diagnosis private... until now.

“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,” Bailey wrote. “Time to stop.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, CMS occurs when nerve signals fail to properly activate muscles, meaning physical activity can quickly lead to fatigue and weakness. For Bailey, that reality has become increasingly visible in everyday life.

“My muscles aren’t clearly receiving all my brain’s orders to do all the swell things muscles are meant to do,” the "Grey's Anatomy" actor explained, adding that his arms, hands, and legs tire far faster than expected. Sustained or repetitive movements, he noted, can even cause his muscles to temporarily “tighten and shut down.”

While Bailey can still walk short distances, like taking his dog around the block or running quick errands, he now frequently relies on a powered wheelchair to get around. The "Grey's Anatomy" star  describes himself as an ambulatory wheelchair user, moving between walking and wheeling as his body allows.

“I ambulate some, then I sit, I ‘wheelchair’ about, ambulate, sit, and then, you know, ambulate,” he wrote, sharing that the back-and-forth has led to unexpected and sometimes humorous moments, like standing up in a department store to help a stranger reach an item on a high shelf, despite using a wheelchair minutes earlier.

Bailey acknowledged that the progression of his condition means his life and his work will look different moving forward. “Practically speaking, moving forward, it’s time for my work, like in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair,” he shared. “Passed that time, really.”

Still, the "Grey's Anatomy" actor is clear that his abilities and his passion remain intact. He emphasized that he can still perform, including handling “walks and talks,” rising to his feet when needed, and fully embodying characters on screen. “I’m the same guy. Same actor. Same artist,” Bailey wrote. “Now with wheels.”

Rather than stepping away, Bailey says he’s ready to embrace what comes next, both personally and professionally. By sharing his diagnosis publicly, he hopes to open doors not just for himself, but for greater disability representation in film and television. “I am hopeful that there is still room for me in this industry that I love,” he wrote. “I look forward to performing as characters who live their lives with a chair, creating a more representative world in film and television.”

After years of quietly navigating his condition behind the scenes, Bailey says he’s no longer hiding. Instead, he’s rolling forward, literally and figuratively, into a new chapter defined not by limitation, but by honesty, visibility, and resilience.

Beyond "Grey’s Anatomy," Bailey has built a steady career over decades in Hollywood, appearing as a guest star in a wide range of television shows across genres, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Scandal," "Chicago Fire," "Modern Family," "NCIS," "Bones," "You," and more.

Now 54, Bailey has continued working consistently while navigating health challenges privately for years. As he steps into this next chapter more publicly, the actor is making it clear that while the way he moves through the world may be changing, his identity as a performer remains firmly intact.