WEBVTT - Getting a Little MeSsy with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:02.200 Life can be a lot, and it helps to have 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.720 a therapist by your side. Register at talkspace dot com 0:00:05.720 --> 0:00:09.639 to connect with a licensed therapist within days for virtual support. 0:00:10.119 --> 0:00:14.520 Talkspace is in network with major insurers no insurance. Now 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.200 get eighty five dollars off of your first month with 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:21.040 promo code Katie when you go to talkspace dot com 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:30.440 slash Katiekuric. Hi everyone, I'm Katie Kuric and this is 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:38.280 next question. I recently had a chance to sit down 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:42.320 with my friends Christina Applegate and Jamie Lynn Sigler. I 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:44.480 don't know if you've heard, but they've got a new podcast. 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:47.040 It's called Messi, and they were nice enough to have 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:50.440 me on and MESSI. It was in the best possible way. 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.760 You know, I'm usually the one asking the questions, but 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:56.200 I have to admit it was pretty fun to answer 0:00:56.240 --> 0:01:00.080 a few for a change. The Messy podcast is all 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:04.400 about life's curveballs. Jamie Lynn and Christina have one in common. 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:09.200 They have both been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or MS. 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:13.600 The point of their podcast is that everyone goes through 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:17.840 hard things. It's pretty unavoidable, but there's real strength in 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:22.080 being honest and open about just how much life sucks. Sometimes. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.880 We laughed, we cried, We talked about the good times 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:29.039 and the bad times. Times we've been sick. And I'm 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.520 not talking about the cold drill here I had in 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:36.120 this interview, but the big sea cancer. In fact, Christina 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:40.080 and I bonded as fellow breast cancer patients. So yeah, 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:44.280 MESSI a little, but we had a blast. Here's Christina 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:52.360 and Jamie Lynn's conversation with yours. Truly, Hi, ladies, I'm 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:55.240 so happy to see you both. I'm such a big 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:58.840 fan of both of you. And I've apologized because I 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:03.120 have a bad so I apologize for my voice, which 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:05.880 sounds like I got talking like that. 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.760 We can all, do you want us all to do it. 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:13.680 A great cartoon vo like maybe you should like audition 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:17.040 for a voice risin right now and just be like 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:19.519 I can play that little weird bunny. 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.639 I was thinking, though, you know, aside from that, when 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:25.120 I don't have a cult that I was thinking I 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:28.239 should do some voice over work because my voice, I think, 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:31.440 because people listen to me for so many years. A 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:34.040 lot of times I'll be out and about and I 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:36.320 won't have any makeup on and I'll just you know, 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:41.359 be whatever. But when I start talking, that's when people say, 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:45.120 wait a second, because I think when people watch the 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.960 Today Show, they actually were doing other things so they 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:51.640 listened more than they watched, and so as a result, 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:56.120 for certain demographic, my voice is very recognizable. 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:57.600 Well, yes, I mean you're Katie Couric. 0:02:57.960 --> 0:02:59.560 That's the thing, Like, there's a lot of people we've 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.240 had on here that we can't just be like you're 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.600 bloody blah. It's like you're Katie Kurt like that. It's 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.600 its own poster of name. And I was going to 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:11.280 say something about for me when I would try to 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.400 be incognito, my nose gave me away. 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:15.080 Really. 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:18.040 Everything else was like I could hide it all, but 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:20.880 if the nose my weird. 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:26.559 No, you have a very I'm. 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:25.919 Not trying to make it about me. I'm just saying 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:27.840 it's so funny that there's certain things. 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:30.880 About that have to call that a ski slope nose. 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.080 Yes, yes, you could jump right off of it and 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:34.360 then also see into my brain. 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:36.840 Oh yes. And she used to also call it a 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:38.200 don't rain on me nose. 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:41.440 Oh I get it now. 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:43.520 Yeah, that's very cute. 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:44.040 There you go. 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:49.160 Well we cold no nasally voice or not we are 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.320 so thrilled to have you here with us because you 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:56.720 have been somebody who I mean one of my first 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:01.160 memories of somebody that's taken something deeply personal and tragic 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:05.360 that's happened in their life and decide to share it 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:10.880 publicly and heal publicly and have it turned into a purpose. 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:14.120 And I think you were really ahead of your time 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:18.040 when you did that, and I would love I'm sure 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:21.440 you've shared so much about that experience, but you know, 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.240 what were the lessons and what were the things that 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.640 you turned to that gave you the strength to do 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:31.520 that as we sort of navigate the space right now ourselves, 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:32.279 And can. 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.200 I can I post ps on that so you can 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:40.000 answer both being a woman in your field, like I 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:42.640 don't even know, like how you broke that, you know. 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:44.479 I hate to always say that the glass ceiling because 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.360 I think we've used that a lot, but it's the Yeah, 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:49.440 you broken in and you are a legend. 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:52.080 So okay, So her question, then my question there you. 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:53.720 Go, Okay, that's how we do. 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:57.600 Things, all right, Okay, So Jamie's question first, I think 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:03.240 it's so interesting the changes we've witnessed, the evolution in 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:08.400 people's willingness to talk about things that were once taboo, 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:14.080 you know, that were once too private, too personal and 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:15.480 somehow embarrassing. 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:19.720 And I think that, you. 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:23.440 Know, everybody has shit that happens to them in their lives, 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:30.960 and you know, I think diseases in particular need to 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.039 be out in the open. So I really applaud both 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:37.800 of you for doing this podcast. I'm sure you know, 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:42.520 and your producer, Alison, who's also my friend, has told 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:47.240 you how important it is and how important it is 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:52.200 to build community. And I think since my husband was 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:57.839 diagnosed and died of colorectal cancer in nineteen ninety eight, 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:02.160 he was diagnosed in April of nineteen ninety seven, there 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:06.839 really has been a shift in attitudes about people's willingness 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:11.359 to talk about things. And I think, you know, you 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:15.839 can say a lot of negative things about the Internet 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:20.919 and social media and our digital lives and how so 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:23.880 much of what we should be doing has been taken 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:29.560 over by a more virtual existence, but I think it 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:35.120 has allowed people to form communities and to be heard 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:38.960 and be seen and be helped by people who are 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:44.560 in a similar situation. And you know, I am just amazed, 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:51.039 almost on a daily basis, people coming forward and talking 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:55.919 about things in a way that destigmatizes illness, in a 0:06:55.960 --> 0:07:00.520 way that brings attention to illnesses and diseases, and a 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:06.600 way that the collective voices helped demand more research into 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:11.360 various diseases. You know, I just interviewed Francis Collins, who 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:14.880 ran the NIH, the National Institutes of Health from two 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:18.400 thousand and nine till twenty twenty one, and he was 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.440 diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was part of a clinical trial. 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:25.880 It became more aggressive, he had surgery, and you know, 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.520 he wrote an article in the Washington Post about it. 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.360 And I said to him, Francis, he lets me call 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:36.840 him Francis. He's like a geneticist. He you know, mapped 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:42.240 the human genome. He's a brainiac, like unparalleled brainiac. But 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:48.640 he said, you know, I just whenever you can give 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:53.800 people information and do the things that I mentioned forum community, 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.800 and in his case, you know, he wanted men to 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:00.640 know that if they have elevated A, they should check 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:05.640 their PSA and if they have elevated PSAs what that means. 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:09.560 And I just think the world is there's so much 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:14.200 information and so much stuff out there that anytime we 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:21.600 can use whatever our situations are to help people live healthier, 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:27.840 happier lives. It's kind of, I think, imperative, and I 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:32.480 think for the three of us, we have platforms, you know, 0:08:32.559 --> 0:08:37.720 we are known individuals, and I think it does have 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:43.640 a lot of impact when someone shares a really intensely 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:48.840 personal experience and is willing to come forward and talk 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:54.560 about things. So I felt at the time, just to 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.120 get back to your question, Jamie, sorry, I'm so long winded, 0:08:57.160 --> 0:09:00.120 that the Today Show was such an incredible platform. Know, 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:03.360 we had millions of people watching. This was before iPhones 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.680 and the fragmentation of media. You know, it was kind 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:09.800 of a destination for a lot of people because there 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.760 were there were limited options, right If you wanted to 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:14.400 know what was going on in the world, you read 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:18.160 your paper, you turned on to MPR, your local radio, 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.160 or you turned on a morning show. 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:20.440 Right. 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:24.080 And I just felt, God, it would be criminal if 0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:28.440 there's ways to prevent this disease from happening to someone else, 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:32.800 if there are ways to keep fathers and mothers and 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.960 sisters and brothers and sons and daughters, et cetera, et 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:40.960 cetera alive, because you can get screened for something. I 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.760 felt it was almost criminal not to take advantage of 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:51.240 my platform. And that's why, you know, you know, looking 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:54.440 back on it, it seems so natural. I have learned 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:59.360 so much about colorectal cancer during my husband's illness, and 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.640 I felt, well, I felt really obligated to share it 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.959 with millions of people and tell them there are things 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.520 you can do that will prevent this disease, that will 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:13.160 prevent a premature death. That you know, our daughters were 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:15.880 six and two when Jay died, and he was so 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:20.440 ripped off, and I just I thought, if I can 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.920 save one life, if I can get one person to 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.520 get screened, if I can get one person to talk 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:28.280 to their doctor, if I can get one person to 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.440 be aware of symptoms like blood in your stools or 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:35.319 un explained weight loss, or the whole panoply of reasons 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:38.720 that someone might have colorectal cancer. 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:41.240 I mean, why wouldn't I? 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:46.000 So I think I think it's it's really wonderful that 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:49.920 now it's become much more sort of the status quo. 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:53.199 I was just I don't know, I was scrolling Instagram 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:55.080 and I saw someone I don't know who she is, 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:57.680 but I think she was filling in for Lennon Doyle 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:01.520 on her podcast, and I think I gathered that she 0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:04.080 has breast cancer and she's talking about dense breasts. And 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:08.240 I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. And 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:12.319 I've been, you know, talking till i'm blue, because. 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:15.600 You know, we're sisters in that respect, Yes, exactly, and 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.840 I was, and I don't want to stop your thoughts, 0:11:18.880 --> 0:11:20.040 but I'm very interrupted. 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:21.160 Jamie knows this. 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:25.760 I'm interrupted only because no, I don't know, because I 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:27.079 will all forget my thought. 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.199 Yeah, and that all super bummed that I didn't. 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:31.960 How old were you when you were diagnosed? 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:32.520 Thirty six? 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:33.640 Good lord? 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:38.440 And immediately, you know, I kind of went on the 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:40.360 you know, I was on Oprah and stuff and I 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.800 was all like, oh, I love my boobs and yay, 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:45.040 this was such a blessing. And I was so full 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:47.440 of shit, Katie. I was so full of shit about 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:50.360 how I actually was feeling. But I did start a 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:53.160 foundation called Right Action for Women, which I think you 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:56.000 helped us out with at some point, with Stand Up 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:58.560 to Cancer, which we will get into, of course, because 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.080 that accomplishment is like I'm going to start to cry, 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:03.720 beyond incredible and thank. 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:05.959 You for always sorry I'm crying. Thank you for always 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:06.560 having me there. 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:11.440 But you know, I started right extra for women to 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:15.600 get MRIs, for women who are of high risk, and 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.760 like I was so angry that like young women were 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:23.840 not able to get MRIs because of insurance. 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:26.200 But I know it is so frustrating. 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:28.560 I mean, now it's like it's a little bit easier, 0:12:28.559 --> 0:12:30.640 but at that time it was out of pocket thirty 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:33.400 five hundred dollars for them to get it. 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.079 I still think it's very difficult, you know, for a 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.839 lot of women to get I think you're right if 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:41.840 you have a family history or you're you know, I'm brunchion, 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:46.880 but a rock arge or other genetic mutation that makes 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:48.080 you at higher risk. 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.800 All I just got really super No, that's okay. I 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:53.280 don't have my period anymore. 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:57.640 Oh well, that's okay. Listen, it's all of this stuff 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:02.640 is really hard. And it's interesting that that you said 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:08.520 your TV appearances after your diagnosis weren't emblematic about how 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:12.040 you were actually feeling. And I think, you know, the 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:17.640 flip side of this is, you know this people people 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:22.720 coming forward and and sort of framing their situation in 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.080 a way that just isn't true or real hashtag warrior. 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:28.120 That's that's something that like Jamie and I are like 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:28.840 so against. 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.600 We're like, no, you know what, it's okay to be 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:35.200 super honest about how you're feeling because I think you're 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.120 going to help more people if people can relate to 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:38.839 that pain. 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:40.240 I think you're right. 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:43.560 But yeah, I used to have this fantasy, you know, 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:46.240 when the sixteen or so years that I didn't tell 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:49.440 anybody that I had MS. But oh, one day, when 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.280 I'm better, I'll talk about it, when it's all wrapped 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:54.439 up in a beautiful beau and I heal this thing, 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:59.120 I'll talk about it. And what I realize now in 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:03.000 this exercise of talking about it while I'm still very 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:06.240 much in it, is this is what people need to hear. 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:11.400 People connect when you're in it. People connect when you're 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:16.600 where they're at. There's and there's such comfort and strength 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:19.920 that comes with that. Like you said, Katie, the community. 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:27.160 And I feel so bolsterred by this MS and messy community. 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:29.600 I shouldn't even just label it just MS. Our listeners 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:33.360 in this messy community in a way that I have 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:38.960 never felt before, just by being honest and vulnerable. And 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.600 I attribute Christina to really bringing that out in me 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.280 in a raw, authentic way that I wasn't able to 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.040 quite tap into before. 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:50.120 Pissed off. 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.680 Yeah, and I think people need to hear you, and 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:56.080 need to hear that anger, and they need to hear 0:14:56.800 --> 0:15:02.440 that honesty. I think because I mean, if you're just 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:07.280 sort of a cock guide optimist and surely temper, I 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:07.760 love that. 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.520 I'm running that down cock guyde optimist. I'm texting myself. 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:12.760 That's from South Pacific, right, that's right. 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.960 Okay, okay, but okay, you guys talk, I'm texting. 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:18.880 It's just it's just I don't think it's very useful 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:21.560 because it's just a facade, you know. 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:25.080 Yeah, yeah, well you've I think you've always let us 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:29.360 in into what's happening in your life with the intention 0:15:29.560 --> 0:15:33.160 of helping people, and that's always been very clear. But 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:40.280 when you what then sparked your wanting to write your memoir? 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.760 You know, I was at the time, I think I 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:46.760 was sixty four or sixty five years old. 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:47.640 I'm sixty seven. 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:48.520 Now, no, you're not. 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:51.480 I know she looks like she's no no no no no. 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.360 No no no no no. I'm fifty two. You're fifty five. 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:55.880 Oh, I'm fifty five. 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:56.800 You're earliest. 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.760 I'm the earliest. How did I get I got confused? 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:01.960 All ladies and gentlemen, I'm only don't. 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:04.240 Look at and the wikipedias. 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:05.000 She's fine. 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:08.680 The only idiot, you guys, who actually has the date 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:12.080 of the year I was born in my email address. 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:14.360 WTF? What is wrong with me? 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.800 But anyway, I think I had become you. 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.040 Know, I was at a certain age. 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:24.600 My daughters are older, they're now thirty two and twenty eight, 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:28.200 and you know, I think I have led a very 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:34.560 unexpected life and it's been fascinating and thrilling and heartbreaking, 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.360 and you know, I mean all. 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.040 Of the feels as the kids used to say. 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:45.120 And I sort of thought, when you're a public figure 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:48.920 and you all know this, probably better than anyone you 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:53.600 get written about, right, people project whatever it is onto you. 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:56.720 They control the narrative in many ways, and certainly it 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.960 was true prior to social media, when now you know 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:03.120 now there's disintermediation. You can go straight to people and 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.280 you can share what you want to share, not through 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:09.840 the prism of somebody who's writing something, who may have 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:13.560 an agenda, who has a certain take. And I think 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:19.800 for me, the narrative had been controlled by other people, 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:22.760 and I thought, you know, I think it's time before 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:27.320 I forget everything, to tell my own story and to 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.600 kind of share what it was like to be me 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:36.320 during all these years. And you know, there I've had 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:42.240 so many different chapters of my life, professional triumphs and disappointments, 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:47.720 personal heartache. 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:45.720 And. 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:50.600 I've had loss, you know, through my husband and my 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:55.399 sister and then my parents who lived to the age 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.800 of ninety and ninety one. So I was very blessed 0:17:57.800 --> 0:18:01.440 that way. But my sister, Emily died of pancreatic cancer 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.679 just three years after Jay died of calling cancer. So 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:09.119 you know, I just I thought, if there's you know, 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:10.560 I kind of did it as a gift to my 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:12.679 kids because I always thought, I'm going to be the 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:14.679 kind of mom who writes a letter every year and 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.000 when they're eighteen, give them to give it to them 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:18.879 in a pretty box or something. But of course I 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:21.920 never did, but I wanted. I wanted to give it 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:26.159 to my daughters. But I also thought, you know, I 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:30.679 wanted to be really honest. My husband really encouraged me 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:33.120 to be super honest. Now, he said, maybe you shouldn't 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:36.639 have been quite so honest. But I thought, if there 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:39.960 was any aspect of my life that could potentially be 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:45.720 instructive for people, or fun or entertaining, or they could 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:48.920 relate to it, I thought, why not? And so that's 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.119 why I wanted to do that. And I had never 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:54.159 written a memoir. I'd written a couple of children's books, 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:56.320 and I had a book of advice because I gave 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:59.600 so many commencement addresses, and I'd call people I had 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:03.680 interviewed and I'd say, what advice would you give these students? 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:07.000 And they would write back really interesting things, and I thought, Wow, 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:10.119 that would be a really cool book to get people 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:14.639 for their graduation. But never had I really written a memoir. 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:18.199 And it's interesting that, Jamie, you say I let people in, 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:21.600 because I really did try to have boundaries, you know. 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:24.880 I tried to let people in when it would be 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:28.720 useful for my information and would help them, but I 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:34.040 also tried to protect my kids. And when my husband died, 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:38.760 I really felt like that was his story to tell. 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:44.280 I didn't want to exploit it, try to capitalize on it. 0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.800 I just wanted to help people learn what I have 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:51.320 learned in that process. So I have through my whole life. 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:57.639 Try to not overshare too much because I think people 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:02.760 talking about them as themselves and se is really tiresome. 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:08.240 You know, after the break Stand Up. 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:13.160 To Cancer it is all about collaboration, not competition. We'll 0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:21.399 talk about why that's so important right after this. Everyone 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.399 needs someone to talk to and text with about life's challenges, 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.760 and while girlfriends are great listeners, there are limits to 0:20:27.800 --> 0:20:30.840 your group chat. A talkspace therapist will give you an 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:36.120 objective perspective and professional guidance. Register at talkspace dot com 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:39.199 to connect with the licensed therapist within days and you 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:42.240 can start messaging back and forth and also schedule live 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:46.760 video or audio sessions. Talkspace is in network with major 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:50.879 insurers and copays are usually twenty five dollars or less 0:20:51.400 --> 0:20:54.400 no insurance. Now get eighty five dollars off of your 0:20:54.440 --> 0:20:57.439 first month with promo code Katie when you go to 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:02.360 talkspace dot com slash Katie. Match with a licensed therapist 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:12.520 at talkspace dot com slash Katie Couric. We're back with 0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:15.280 Christina Applegate and Jamie Lynn Sigler. 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.439 But what you did so beautifully, my love, my friend, 0:21:21.680 --> 0:21:25.160 stand Up to Cancer? What seven hundred million dollars eight 0:21:25.200 --> 0:21:25.840 hundred million. 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:30.120 Oh oh hello, yes, okay. 0:21:30.080 --> 0:21:31.880 Tell us about starting that that's. 0:21:31.880 --> 0:21:34.919 That's wait, can I say something going to that event. 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:39.280 For the years that I was asked by you to come, 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:42.040 one time you had it was so powerful. You had 0:21:42.200 --> 0:21:45.679 Cheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge and myself come out after I 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:48.920 had just been had my first surgery and it was 0:21:48.960 --> 0:21:51.199 the three of us coming out like three survivors. It 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:53.439 was like this powerful moment for me. For me, I 0:21:53.440 --> 0:21:56.000 don't know if anyone. I think it was powerful for everyone. 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.600 It was like, we are going to be okay, and 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:02.960 you gave us that. You were telling us that we're 0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:05.520 going to be okay. You were standing up and saying 0:22:06.680 --> 0:22:08.439 I'm going to take care of you. And yes, we 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:11.520 lost our dear friend during you know, the process of that, 0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:13.920 and yeah, but. 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.240 What you have done. And also on a side note, 0:22:18.840 --> 0:22:19.960 on the phones. 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:26.439 I would get other people's numbers and prank call them, like. 0:22:25.760 --> 0:22:26.760 Like other actors. 0:22:26.840 --> 0:22:29.840 I would just kind of like George, like Gwyneth palt 0:22:29.840 --> 0:22:31.480 your own people and I would just walk around and 0:22:31.520 --> 0:22:34.600 I find out what their number was, and then I'd 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:35.960 call them and be like. 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:36.880 What are you wearing? 0:22:37.280 --> 0:22:40.160 No, yes, I would. I would really. 0:22:40.200 --> 0:22:42.040 I mean, of course I would answer the calls too, 0:22:42.240 --> 0:22:44.920 of course, but no, but I also would do that. Sorry, 0:22:45.480 --> 0:22:49.879 sorry Katie, but I have to entertain myself otherwise I 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:50.320 get bored. 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:53.000 I don't blame you. I don't blame you, but. 0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:57.440 You took a tragedy and literally probably saved millions of 0:22:57.480 --> 0:22:58.160 people's lives. 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:04.159 Well, listen, it was a team effort, and there is 0:23:04.280 --> 0:23:08.520 no I in team or cancer. And basically, you know, 0:23:08.920 --> 0:23:12.640 I had been really focused on colon's and colon cancer 0:23:12.800 --> 0:23:18.520 and rectums and colearectal cancer. And Lisa Paulson, who was 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:21.600 head of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which is the philanthropic 0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:24.520 arm of Hollywood, you know, she and I were talking 0:23:24.600 --> 0:23:26.720