NEW YORK — Will Forte has spent decades mastering the art of the absurd, from the explosive incompetence of MacGruber to the surrealism of The Last Man on Earth. But in his latest role, the Saturday Night Live alumnus is stepping away from the punchlines to confront a sobering reality closer to home.
In a move that signals the pharmaceutical industry’s continued pivot toward high-profile, narrative-driven advocacy, Teva Pharmaceuticals has tapped Forte to headline “Honestly HD,” a national awareness campaign focused on Huntington’s disease (HD).
The partnership, announced this week, is not merely a celebrity endorsement; it is a personal crusade. Forte joins the campaign alongside his brother-in-law, Doug Modling, who was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder in 2022.
A Personal Stake in the Science
Huntington’s disease is often described by clinicians as a “biological collision,” manifesting symptoms akin to having ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s simultaneously. For Forte, the statistics are now personal history.
“Seeing firsthand the challenges my brother-in-law faces, and his enduring hope despite it all, I’m incredibly inspired by the resilience of everyone I’ve met from the HD community,” Forte stated. “That’s why I’m sharing our story—to help raise awareness of this disease and let people know they are not alone.”
The campaign’s centerpiece is a short film featuring Forte and Modling. It eschews the clinical sterility often associated with pharma marketing in favor of raw, unscripted dialogue. The duo discusses the brutal reality of watching Modling’s father succumb to the hereditary condition, and the subsequent “coin toss” genetic legacy that Modling himself now navigates.
The “Invisible” Symptoms
While Teva’s portfolio includes Austedo (deutetrabenazine)—a treatment for chorea, the involuntary movements characteristic of HD—the “Honestly HD” campaign casts a wider net. It aims to illuminate the condition’s total burden, which includes severe cognitive decline and psychiatric behavioral changes that often devastate families long before the physical tremors begin.
Heather DeMyers, VP of U.S. Innovative Medicines Marketing at Teva, noted that the campaign’s goal is to capture “the perseverance of so many families impacted by this disease,” offering a roadmap for community support rather than just a prescription.
The Bigger Picture
Forte’s involvement marks a sophisticated evolution in patient advocacy. By leveraging a comedian known for levity to discuss a terminal diagnosis, Teva is employing a strategy of high-contrast storytelling—using the warmth of Forte’s public persona to make a terrifying disease approachable for those too afraid to seek resources.
“The only way that you can get through this is by living in the present,” Forte says in the campaign video. It is a line that carries no trace of irony, delivering perhaps the most crucial message of his career.
