Scottish actor and comedian Sir Billy Connolly, whose decades-spanning career includes everything from The Hobbit franchise (which he, hilariously, didn’t particularly enjoy) to the Boondock Saints films, has opened up in a new BBC documentary series, Made In Scotland, about his ongoing health struggles. In the process, Connolly revealed that he doesn’t fear death, but he’s conscious that the end is approaching and feels the effects of his Parkinson’s disease. Via The Telegraph, here’s what Connolly said prior to his November birthday:
“My life is slipping away and I can feel it, and I should, I’m 75. I’m near the end but it doesn’t frighten me. It’s an adventure, and it’s quite interesting to see myself slipping away. Bits slip off and leave me. Talents leave and attributes leave. I don’t have the balance I used to have; I don’t have the energy I used to have; I can’t hear the way I used to hear; I can’t see as good as I used to. I can’t remember the way I used to remember.”
Connolly admits to realizing that his condition will continue to deteriorate, but he’s still excited about the time that he has left, including “maybe new songs to write and sing and jokes to tell.” However, he’s lost use of his left hand, which makes him unable to play the banjo, and he supposes that he’s “being prepared for something, some other adventure which is over the hill.”
The Glasgow native was reportedly diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013, although the Irish Mirror reports that Connolly downplayed the disease’s effects last August. In doing so, both Connolly and his wife, Pamela, pushed back at claims from English talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson, who stated that Connolly didn’t recognize his old friend at a recent dinner. In response, the Connollys branded Parkinson a “daft old fart,” but in light of Billy’s statements in the referenced BBC documentary, it seems he’ll keep us laughing until the end.
(Via The Telegraph & Irish Mirror)
