Dudley Moore's 'Short, Uncertain Future'

L O N D O N, Dec. 4 -- British comic actor Dudley Moore,who has a rare degenerative brain disorder, says in a televisioninterview to be screened today that he faces a “short anduncertain future” and will die.

“It’s totally mysterious the way this illness attacks, andeats you up, and then spits you out,” says Moore, who wasnominated for an Oscar in 1981 for his role in Arthur.

“I did get angry. But there’s not much point feeling angry.There’s always this feeling of ‘Why did it hit me?’ and I cannotmake peace with it because I know I am going to die from it,” hesaid.

Extracts from his interview on a BBC Omnibus program werepublished by British newspapers.

Fatigued, Impaired Speech

Moore, 65, is said to appear in the program looking drawnand fatigued and suffering from impaired speech.

Doctors for the diminutive star said in September he wasbeing treated for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, an incurableParkinson’s-related disease.

Symptoms include falling, problems with walking, imbalanceand slowed movements.

Oxford-educated Moore says in the BBC interview that thedisease has robbed him of his greatest love — his ability toplay music.

“Music is my main comfort now. But it is difficult to knowthat all the keys are there to be played and I can’t play them,”he said.

Rose to Fame

He first found fame in the 1960s in the British satiricalreview “Beyond the Fringe” and through his comedy partnershipwith the late British satirist Peter Cook.

In the late 1970s he moved to Hollywood, before finding fameas a movie star. He was later dubbed a “sex thimble” due to hisshort stature.

Announcing news of his condition in September, Mooreretained his sense of humor.

“I understand that one person in 100,000 suffers from thisdisease and I am also aware that there are 100,000 members of myunion, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), who are working everyday,” he said.