from our Optimisticles blog series
By Wes Kilgore, Well Beings
Before Bradley Cooper was a household name or an Oscar nominee, he was a devoted son facing one of life’s most personal dilemmas: caring for a sick parent. When his dad, Charles Cooper, was diagnosed with lung cancer, Bradley took a hiatus from acting, moved back into his parents’ house, and took care of him until he passed away in 2011. It was, in Cooper’s own words, a “traumatic and lonely wake-up call” to the state of caregiving in the U.S. But the experience also fortified Cooper’s deep respect for the often-unseen efforts and sacrifices made by those who care for loved ones.
“Caregivers are heroic people. Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something I stand in awe of.”
– Bradley Cooper
Following his father’s death, Cooper’s mother, Gloria Campano, came to live with him. Their close relationship has garnered headlines, but underlying the red carpets and talk show stories is the far less-flashy reality of their shared caregiving experience. Now, as executive producer of the new PBS documentary Caregiving, Cooper is making his personal experience public — shining light on the unseen labor millions do daily. He, along with fellow entertainers such as Henry Winkler, Queen Latifah, Marcia Gay Harden, and Lily Gladstone, are familiar with caregiving not as an act, but a way of life. Here are 10 narratives that defy expectations of resiliency, grief, and familial obligation and confirm that caregiving is not just loving but life-changing.
Henry Winkler and His Mother, Anna Marie Winkler
Best known as The Fonz on the 70s sitcom Happy Days, and for his Emmy Award-winning turn as Gene Cousineau in Barry, Henry Winkler always had a complicated relationship with his mother, Anna Marie, who lived with mental illness. Years later, when her health started to decline, Winkler cared for her emotionally and financially at a time when at-home caregiving was not a well-defined or acknowledged undertaking.
“My most challenging role to date was being a caregiver to my mother who suffered a stroke.”
– Henry Winkler
Marcia Gay Harden and Her Mother, Beverly Bushfield
Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden has spoken and written openly about her journey caring for her mother, Beverly Bushfield, who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. In her memoir The Seasons of My Mother, Harden traces their evolving relationship — from girlhood admiration to the complex intimacy of caregiving. Beverly’s decline was gradual, and Harden made space in her busy acting life to be present for her mother in meaningful ways.
“Your loved one is still there. It’s just a different version of that person, a version of them you both are getting to know. Be patient. Be accepting.”
– Marcia Gay Harden
Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen and Lauren’s Mother, Adele
When Seth Rogen’s wife, writer and actor Lauren Miller Rogen, got the news that her mother, Adele, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 55, the couple turned personal tragedy into action. They co-founded Hilarity for Charity (HFC) in 2012, working together to assist families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, fund research, and offer in-home respite free of charge to caregivers.
“The more I lose my mom to Alzheimer’s, the more I experience how painful it is to miss someone who is sitting right in front of you.”
– Lauren Miller Rogen
While Lauren helped coordinate her mother’s care, Seth used his platform to testify before Congress, raising awareness about the toll Alzheimer’s takes on young caregivers.
David Cassidy and His Mother, Evelyn Ward
Long before David Cassidy would experience his own health issues, he quietly supported his mother, Evelyn Ward, as she slipped into the disabling fog of dementia. Best known as a teenage heartthrob from The Partridge Family, Cassidy’s fame did not shield him from the pain of ambiguous loss — watching a parent forget who you are while they are still physically there.
“In the end, the only way I knew she recognized me is with one single tear…”
– David Cassidy
Cassidy spoke candidly of the emotional toll caregiving took on him, making his journey public to help bring attention to dementia’s silent heartache and the emotional weight caregivers generally carry.
Queen Latifah and Her Mother, Rita Owens
When Queen Latifah’s mother, Rita Owens, was diagnosed with heart failure in 2004, the multi-hyphenate entertainer did what a lot of caregivers do — she rearranged her life. Rita moved in with her daughter, and Latifah became her caregiver, cook, scheduler, and emotional support system.
“I learned I had to get myself together, and I had to really be aware of my own life, but it makes me concerned about those out there who don’t have the support system that my mom has.”
– Queen Latifah
Rita’s fight ended in 2018, but her spirit lives on through Queen Latifah’s campaign for heart health and caregiver awareness.
Sean Astin and His Mother, Patty Duke
Sean Astin, erstwhile Goonies, Rudy and Lord of the Rings alum, grew up watching his Oscar-winning mother, Patty Duke (The Miracle Worker), blaze a trail in Hollywood while living privately with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Years later, as her health declined, Astin stepped into a more intimate role — not just as a son, but as a caregiver and advocate. He championed her in the hospitals, accepted responsibility for her care, and ensured that her legacy continued even after her passing.
“For me it was, I actually felt, so young, almost like I was the father figure. I felt like my job is to try and protect her…”
– Sean Astin
Astin’s caregiving did not stop after his mother died in 2016. He started the Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative to carry on her advocacy work and to celebrate the struggles she endured with honesty and hope.
Holly Robinson-Peete and Her Father, Matt Robinson
Actress and advocate Holly Robinson-Peete became a caregiver in her late teens when her father, Sesame Street‘s original Gordon, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As she helped coordinate his care, she also began speaking out on behalf of others who were facing the same challenges — particularly Black families living with neurodegenerative disease.
“Caregiving for my dad at such a young age taught me how to balance life and work, because as I was learning to caregive for him, I was just going into the workforce.”
– Holly Robinson-Peete
In 1999, she and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete founded the HollyRod Foundation to assist families impacted by Parkinson’s and autism. The foundation’s mission was shaped not only by her father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis but also by her son RJ’s autism diagnosis at age three. Her experience as a caregiver became a catalyst for institutional change, mixing private duty with public engagement.
Lily Gladstone and Her Uncle and Grandmother
Before standing at the Oscars as a historic nominee — and winner — for Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone returned to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana to stand quietly in the doorway of her family home, poised to assist. As the world slowed down during the pandemic, Gladstone moved back in with her parents to help care for her grandmother, who lived with dementia, and her uncle, who has special needs. Her grandmother died in the summer of 2023, but the experience profoundly influenced Gladstone’s life and career.
“(Caregiving) is a gift that I embrace.”
– Lily Gladstone
Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne
Few famous couples have lived as publicly as Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. But when Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2003 (and made it public in 2020), Sharon went into full-time activist, caregiver, and emotional anchor mode. Behind the reality show and the rock tours was a woman juggling schedules, symptoms, and an uncertain future. Their story is messy, honest, and fiercely loyal — much like caregiving.
“The positive thing is with the family, we spend so much more time together, and I just love my husband more than I did three years ago.”
– Sharon Osbourne
About the Author
Wes Kilgore is a writer, musician and bon vivant based in the Washington, DC area, and the proud parent of two disturbingly well-adjusted young women and two unimpressible Corgis.
