Actor Percy Daggs III Says His Grandmother’s Faith Inspired Him to Pursue His God-Given Calling
By Movieguide® Staff
Actor Percy Daggs III, best known for his role in the TV series and feature film VERONICA MARS, recently shared his experience of caring for his grandmother, Sadye Daggs, who has Alzheimer’s.
Daggs recalled Sadye’s life of faith and sacrifice for her family, which inspired him to hold onto his faith.
“My grandma was the best grandma,” he said in an interview with Guideposts. “She was all about family. She sacrificed for whatever her kids and her grandkids needed. She was always available. I had a special relationship with her, and I’m sure each one of my cousins thought that they had a unique relationship with her too.”
“When I was a kid, I used to get pink eye and nosebleeds a lot in school. My mom and dad both worked during the day, so the person called to come get me was Grandma Sadye,” he said. “That was a special time for just the two of us after she picked me up. I think she cherished having that time with me too. I got to learn who she was. She had an excellent sense of humor. Very quick. Very intelligent and definitely a woman of faith, who not only shared the Word with us but also made sure we formulated our own relationship with God.”
Daggs said that Sadye led music and choir at their church, Christ Second Baptist in Long Beach, California, where she attended for 50 years.
The family noticed that Sadye’s symptoms increased five to six years after her husband died.
“I had never seen confusion in my grandmother’s eyes before,” he recalled. “But I would see it when she couldn’t find something that was close by or when she sometimes didn’t know who I was. Moments that hurt my heart.”
“In our own time, everybody said, ‘Hey, you know, this is getting worse than we thought.’ Doctors first said she had early-stage dementia. Within a couple years, the diagnosis became Alzheimer’s,” he added.
Amid the hardship of the diagnosis, Daggs said that he and his family held one another accountable to support the family and Sadye.
“My dad and my aunts had many meetings to determine what was best for Grandma. They knew how much she loved her home and wanted to try to keep her there,” he said. “We were all on board with making sure we were there for her the way she had always been for us. Whoever was capable of staying with her would stay with her for longer than overnight. I was the first of the family to do it.”
The 39-year-old actor first became a caregiver to his grandmother at age 22.
“It’s a different experience than going over on Sunday or checking in on a weekday and seeing good moments and being encouraged by that,” he said. “It’s not until you stay overnight for an extended period of time that you discover exactly what she’s going through. I kept close enough that I was able to recognize when I had to step in and help her do the things that used to be routine for her.
“I enjoyed doing for her what she had done for us,” he continued. “Making meals, helping her find things, making sure she was safe…
“Sometimes she would share stories about her life and I would call my dad later and ask, “Did this really happen?” So I learned a lot about our family’s history when Grandma would reminisce. I stayed with her as long as I could. Our family members all took turns. But as the Alzheimer’s progressed, it got to the point where she needed more help and we got her to an assisted living facility and then a live-in facility.”
Daggs remembers that his grandmother displayed faith like no one else in his family.
“God gives you different gifts, and as far as grace goes, we give that back in service to him for his people. My grandmother, along with my mother, was a significant example of this in my life,” he said. “Grandma didn’t miss a rehearsal, let alone a Sunday service, in her commitment to her faith. She showed up and shared whatever God gave her.”
Sadye’s faith motivated Daggs to trust the Lord as he began to pursue his career in acting.
“That was the spark for me as I navigated what my gifts were in the space that I felt God was placing me in, which was acting,” he explained. “I do my best with opportunities to tell stories on camera that entertain, inform and inspire, but what’s most important is the story I tell with my life off camera. A life of love and service to others. That’s who my grandma was.”
Despite Hollywood’s general hostility to Christianity, that hasn’t stopped Daggs from showing the love of God to everyone he encounters.
“Matthew 5:16: ‘Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works….’ That Scripture is one of those things that I always go to,” he said. “Even when I’m struggling, I smile and try to be a light or a positive presence wherever I go because I know that I’m not the only one who’s going through something. I know that the God I serve, who gets me through all the things that I do get through, is a promise keeper.
“I just try to be a light to others as much as possible so that, if people see anything good in me, I can tell them that it isn’t me—it’s all the love of God,” he added.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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