You may know him as the gruff baseball team manager and owner Pop Fisher from the 1984 film The Natural, starring Robert Redford.

You might also recognize him as one of the star geezers from 1985’s geriatric reincarnation epic, Cocoon.

His raspy baritone voice extolled the consumption of Quaker Oats as “the right thing to do, and a tasty way to do it” in an ad campaign during the 1980s and 90s.

But you almost certainly can identify Wilford Brimley as the no-nonsense spokesperson for Liberty Medical Supply. In a series of television ads that began in the late 1990s, the character actor with the walrus mustache encouraged people with “diabeetus” to “check their blood sugar, and check it often.”

That same ad campaign elevated Brimley to internet meme and YouTube legend status. Scores of fans, most of whom do not have “diabeetus” and were born after many of Brimley’s notable film appearances, have come to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor of his unintentional mispronunciation of the health condition affecting nearly 40 million people in the U.S. alone.

Perhaps it didn’t happen in quite the way it was planned, but Brimley’s goal of raising awareness of diabetes and the proper care and treatment for it has been achieved as a runaway success. The 83-year-old actor, who describes himself as “just a guy” at his Twitter account, and who still lives in his native Utah, has had type 2 diabetes since 1979.

Brimley made a career as a character actor in roles that reflect his own life experiences. A former U.S. Marine who once worked as Howard Hughes’ bodyguard, Brimley first garnered attention as an extra in Western films. These roles were won largely due to his skills as a rancher, expert horseman, and blacksmith; he made horseshoes for many of the horses he rode on in the films.

Later roles in films and TV shows including The Waltons and Our House featured Brimley as a blunt-talking curmudgeon with a gruff exterior that surrounds a warm heart. And when it comes to his role as a spokesman for diabetes awareness, Brimley’s concern for the well-being of people with diabetes shines through the fuss, pomp, and circumstance of Hollywood stardom.

In a 2005 interview, Brimley counseled those with diabetes to take control of their management of the disease in his characteristic no-nonsense fashion:

“Take a piece of paper and put a line down the middle, with a plus on one side and negative on the other. List the things that pertain to your life. If the pluses outweigh the negatives, then it would behoove you to take care of yourself. If the future might bring some good things, you might want to stick around.”

Brimley, now a grandfather to several children of his four grown sons, has clearly found his reasons for sticking around. He offers no secrets for his own success, outside of the simple diligence of personal care and the bravery to face up to life with diabetes.

“I would encourage people, especially people over 50 years old, to be examined to see if they’ve got diabetes, and not to be afraid of it,” he says. “It’s not something that needs to scare you. It’s not a death sentence necessarily, but that’s up to you. You can learn about your body, if you just pay attention, then keep a log of blood glucose tests and carbohydrate intake like I do. And mainly, do not be afraid.”

Although his acting roles and interests embrace life in the sparsely populated American West, at heart Brimley is a people person. He frequently visits U.S. military veterans with diabetes in VA hospitals and encourages proper self-care. His contributions to diabetes awareness earned him a lifetime service award from the American Diabetes Association in 2009.

Brimley is also a good-natured host of the internet meme craze promoting his likeness and mispronunciation of the health condition he’s dealt with for almost 40 years now. He promotes t-shirts and other diabeetus-emblazoned items that raise money for diabetes research at his Twitter account and posts testimonials from newly-diagnosed people with diabetes who serve as, or have found, inspiration in his outreach.

Promoting good diabetes management is no role for a true curmudgeon, according to Brimley.

“As soon as you can get your diabetes managed, the better off you are and the more pleasant you are to the people around you.”

Read more about American Diabetes Association (ADA), celebrities with diabetes, diabetes advocacy, humor, liberty medical, Wilford Brimley.