MORE THAN 70 MOVIES AND TV SERIES.
BUT SHE'S BEST KNOWN AS ONE OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE TV DOCTORS,
STARRING AS ADDISON MONTGOMERY ON "GREY'S ANATOMY" AND "PRIVATE
PRACTICE." >> NOW, SHE'S OPENING UP ABOUT A
SCARE OF HER OWN, THE DIAGNOSIS OF A BRAIN TUMOR IN 2015.
SHE HAD THE TUMOR REMOVED. NOW, SHE'S SHARING HER STORY FOR
THE FIRST TIME ON TELEVISION. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> WELCOME TO OUR LIVING ROOM.
>> I LOVE IT. I'M GLAD IT'S NOT A WHITE COUCH.
>> YOU COULD HAVE THIS COUCH. THIS IS THE GUEST COUCH.
HOW DID YOU KNOW OR WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW THAT SOMETHING WAS
WRONG? >> IT WAS IN JANUARY OF 2015.
I WAS EXHAUSTED. BUT I HAD JUST WRAPPED A SHOW,
"BAD JUDGE." AND I WAS STARRING AND EXECUTIVE
PRODUCING. IT WASN'T UNHEARD OF TO BE
EXHAUSTED. I THOUGHT, I JUST BURNED MYSELF
OUT. I WAS WORKING OUT INTENSELY.
I'LL TAKE IT EASY. WHEN I WAS WORKING OUT, MY
PILATES INSTRUCTOR SAID, YOUR RIGHT SIDE IS DIPPING.
AND I WAS DRIVING AND I WOULD START SWERVING INTO THE RIGHT
LANE. I COULD DRINK SEVERAL CUPS OF
COFFEE AND NOT HAVE ANY ENERGY. THEN, IT WAS BEYOND APHASIA.
AND IT GOT APPARENT PRETTY QUICK.
I WANTED TO GO AND HAVE A CHECKUP.
I WENT TO A NEUROLOGIST. AND PUSHED FOR AN MRI.
AND THANK GOD I DID. >> WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PUSH?
>> WELL, MRIs, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY DO ALL THE TIME.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A PERSON WHO -- I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KIND OF -- I HAD TO ADVOCATE A LITTLE BIT.
THEY DON'T HAND THEM OUT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT'S MAGNETIC
RADIATION. BUT IT WAS -- YEAH.
I FOUND OUT IMMEDIATELY THAT I HAD A VERY SIZABLE TUMOR, WHICH
THEY HOPED WOULD BE BENIGN. BUT WE DIDN'T FIND OUT UNTIL WE
WERE IN SURGERY. >> IT WAS BIG?
LIKE A SMALL LEMON IN MY FRONT LEFT LOBE.
I WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS BENIGN AND THEY GOT IT ALL OUT.
>> WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHEN THE DOCTOR TOLD YOU
THE DIAGNOSIS, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> I LEFT MY BODY. THE WORDS BRAIN TUMOR WASN'T IN
MY CONSCIOUSNESS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING
WAS OKAY. AND I WAS -- I GUESS IN SOME WAY
I WAS RELIEVED THAT IT WASN'T JUST -- OH, I WAS JUST EXHAUSTED
AND SORT OF -- I DON'T KNOW. I WAS RELIEVED.
AND THEN, IT WAS -- EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO QUICKLY BECAUSE
THREE DAYS LATER, I WAS IN SURGERY.
YEAH. >> THREE DAYS LATER.
>> GOSH. >> YEAH.
>> HOW DID THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGE YOU?
>> IT WAS -- IT CHANGES ME, I THINK IN ALL THE CLICHE WAYS.
BEFORE I WENT IN, I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD HAPPEN.
MY MOM GAVE ME ROSARY BEADS AND FRIENDS GAVE ME A STUFFED
ANIMAL. IF THIS IS IT, I HAD A GREAT
RUN. BUT I -- ALL OF THE THINGS, IF I
COME OUT OF THIS ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY
FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I WANT TO WORK ON PROJECTS THAT
I JUST LOVE, WITH PEOPLE I LOVE. I WANT TO TRAVEL, BE OF SERVICS.
YOU KNOW? JUST ALL THE KIND OF THINGS YOU
HEAR. BUT, YEAH.
FOR REAL. >> AND WHY DID YOU WANT TO BRING
ATTENTION TO THIS NOW? >> I KNEW I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
IT AT SOME POINT. I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE
RECOVERY IN 2015. AND I DID.
IT WAS PRETTY SWIFT AND AMAZING. I KNEW WHEN I WANTED TO TALK
ABOUT IT, I WANTED TO BE OF SERVICE IN A WAY.
IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH SIGMA.
IT WAS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY, TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE
OF ADVOCATING FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH.
PARTICULARLY WOMEN, THIS IS A TUMOR THAT IS TWICE AS COMMON IN
WOMEN AS MEN. AND IT'S SUCH A GREAT CAMPAIGN.
GETTING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR ANNUAL CHECKUPS.
PEOPLE IN OUR CULTURE ARE AFRAID OF MEDICINE AND THEY WAIT UNTIL
THEY'RE SICK. BUT THE IDEA OF PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE. >> YOU'RE A PAID SPOKESPERSON
FOR CIGNA. AND PART OF THE CAMPAIGN IS THE
TV DOCTORS. TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> WE HAD A BLAST. IT WAS SO FUN FOR ME TO BE
REUNITED WITH PATRICK. AND DONALD, I KNOW.
AND NEIL I KNOW, SOCIALLY. WE HAD A BLAST.
IT WAS LIKE A WORM HOLE, ALL OF US IN OUR WHITE COATS.
>> IT'S A GREAT COMMERCIAL. >> I LOVE THE CAMPAIGN.
I LOVE THE HUMOR. I LOVE THE MESSAGE AND THEY'RE
TRYING TO GET 100,000 PEOPLE TO GET THEIR ANNUAL CHECKUPS, WHICH
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT'S COVERED BY INSURANCE.
YOU JUST GOT TO GO. >> IT'S IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN,
TOO. IN PARTICULAR WHO TAKE CARE OF
EVERYBODY ELSE.