Entertainment
Film legend is ‘still alive but barely’ 6 years after Alzheimer’s diagnosis-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro
He no longer recognises his own hit films.
Barry Otto was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s with his daughter Gracie giving a health update (Picture: Miramax)
Barry Otto’s daughter Gracie has shared a heartbreaking health update about the Strictly Ballroom star following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Otto, 83, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition six years ago, a brain disorder which causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die.
Gracie, 37, documented his life ever since, releasing the footage in the documentary Otto by Otto.
The filmmaker said she treasures the moments she still gets to share with her father, who is best known for his roles in Australia and The Punisher.
‘I was asking him a lot of things – and then it got to be a huge rush to ask him while he was still alive. And he is still alive, but barely,’ she admitted.
She continued to Stellar Magazine: ‘He has moments of absolute clarity that happen very rarely and are usually about someone or something from the past…. it’s like he’s trying to remember who he is, and that’s quite beautiful in a way.’
Australian actor Otto was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago (Picture: Don Arnold/WireImage)
The actor appeared in hit romantic comedy Strictly Ballroom (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock, Getty Images)
Gracie said she does not think her father will watch Otto by Otto, which premiered at this year’s Sydney Film Festival.
‘Dad doesn’t really watch things anymore, that’s the sad part,’ she added.
‘I’ll show him some things. When I put Strictly Ballroom on, I kept pointing at him onscreen; I don’t think (he understood) until the end, and I turned around to see him clapping when his character was on, and he had tears in his eyes when they played Love Is In The Air as the curtain came down.’
The Australian actor has had roles in Cosi, The Dressmaker, The Visitor, The Great Gatsby, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
He also had a voice acting role in 2015 as Mayor Wilberforce Cranklepot in Blinky Bill the Movie.
Aside from the world of film, Barry is an artist and has twice entered the Archibald Prize, often painting stunning pictures of his family.
He welcomed his children Gracie and Edward with Susan Hill (Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images)
He also has a granddaughter, Darcey O’Brien, from his daughter Miranda (Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images)
The actor was previously married to Lindsay Otto, with who he welcomed daughter Miranda, 56, in 1967. The couple divorced in 1973.
Miranda followed her father’s footsteps into acting, appearing in the likes of Talk To Me, Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
She also worked alongside her sister on the Disney Plus series The Clearing, which saw Miranda star alongside Teresa Palmer and Guy Pearce while Gracie directed.
Barry later met partner Susan Hill, one of the founders of Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre, sharing son Edward and daughter Gracie.
The actor also has one grandchild, Darcey, 19, the daughter of Miranda and her husband Peter O’Brien.
Alzheimer’s and dementia: the facts
The most common forms of dementia (symptoms of a decline in brain function) are Alzheimer’s disease followed by vascular dementia.
Alzheimer’s is caused when plaques and tangles form in the brain making it increasingly hard for it to function properly. Early symptoms include forgetting recent events, struggling to remember words, becoming disorientated in familiar places and finding it difficult to concentrate.
Common early symptoms of vascular dementia include problems making decisions or following a series of steps, such as cooking a meal; slower speed of thought and trouble sleeping. The condition can also cause significant mood changes and depression and make people behave completely out of character.
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer – and one in three babies born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. The risk of developing both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia roughly doubles every five years from the age of 65. Women and men are affected equally. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems and high blood pressure all increase the risk.
However, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing the diseases by leading a healthy lifestyle – not smoking or drinking to excess, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Keeping mentally and socially active is also beneficial.
The third most common form of dementia – accounting for an estimated 20 per cent of cases – is Lewy body. With this condition, tiny clumps of protein appear in the brain’s nerve cells, causing a range of issues including mood swings, problems processing thoughts, hallucinations, difficulty balancing and walking slowly. Although DLB (dementia with Lewy body) can affect people under 65, it is much more common as we age, affecting men and women equally.
There is currently no cure for any of the forms of dementia. But getting an early diagnosis is very important in allowing you and your loved ones to access all the medical and social support available. If you are worried that you have any of the symptoms, your GP will be able to refer you to a specialist who can carry out a range of tests.
If you are worried that yours or someone else’s symptoms may be dementia, download the Alzheimer’s Society symptoms checklist, on alzheimers.org.uk; for more information or support on anything you’ve read here, call our support line on 0333 150 3456 or visit our website.
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