<\/p>\n
With a career spanning decades, Gloria Reuben has consistently delivered powerful, socially impactful performances, from her groundbreaking portrayal of Jeanie Boulet on ER<\/em>, one of television\u2019s first nuanced HIV-positive characters, to commanding roles across film and television.<\/p>\n Today, she stars in CBS\u2019s hit drama Boston Blue<\/em> as Mae Silver, the Boston District Attorney, a role she describes as the \u201cperfect fit.\u201d Last year, she also appeared in the Amazon thriller The<\/em> Better Sister<\/em> alongside Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel. Off-screen, she has become one of the most vocal advocates for women navigating life over 50\u2014speaking candidly about perimenopause, menopause and the silence that has long surrounded both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWell, it feels extraordinary in so many ways. First of all, as it always comes down to, the cast and the writing, it has been a wonderful, creative, fulfilling and exciting time to launch a show like this, and one that is so unique in its storytelling. Of course, it\u2019s an expansion of the Blue Bloods<\/em> world. However, this is a very different family, not just geographically but combined with ethnicity and religion, and so the fundamentals of faith, family and service are still at play, but in a very different story that is very current. It\u2019s very reflective of many families in this country and in the world. It\u2019s a great show to be a part of, for sure.<\/p>\n I love launching this. I love the formation of this character. I love participating and collaborating with the Brandons, the showrunners, Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis. Right from the beginning, we were on board. All of us were on the same page, if you will, about who Mae Silver is, not just with her family, but who she is as an individual, her own story and where she is in her life as she begins a new chapter. We\u2019re just diving into those things, and I love it. I\u2019m enjoying it. It\u2019s extremely, again, fulfilling and just complex and wonderful. Perfect fit for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s a good question because it really is a marathon. It\u2019s been a number of years since I\u2019ve been on a 20-episode series. Let\u2019s just put it this way: it\u2019s definitely stamina-building, and until you\u2019re in it, you don\u2019t know how well your stamina will hold up.<\/p>\n Since I\u2019ve been acting for a very long time now, I know what I need to take care of myself and still build my physical, mental and emotional stamina to make it through. We\u2019re filming in Toronto, so it is a little tricky to be away from home in New York City. However, it\u2019s close enough, thankfully, with that little airport, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, that flies direct into Newark. It\u2019s easy to get home for the weekend if I just need to be home or connect with my very good friends here and my life here. That\u2019s a win-win.<\/p>\n And I definitely lucked out with the apartment I\u2019m living in in Toronto because it has a pool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes! I have a treadmill in my apartment, so I can go for a trot, a 20-minute quick run if I need to, whether it\u2019s 4:30 in the morning or nine o\u2019clock at night. What I really love to do is swim. I\u2019ve gotten back into swimming because I\u2019m living in this apartment. I swear, I\u2019m like a dolphin. Well, I\u2019m like a mermaid. That\u2019s a better one. I prefer mermaid over dolphin. Both are great!<\/p>\n But yes, the balance of exercise, for sure. Rest as much as possible, drink a lot of water\u2014all the fundamentals. Connecting with my life and my friends is key. Also, planning ahead for vacation. As soon as I wrapped, I went home. I came home to New York for about four or five days just to unpack some stuff and settle back in. Then I went to the Caribbean for a good two weeks. Talk about swimming, man, I was in the water three or four times a day. That\u2019s all I did: swim, eat and sleep. Well, I ate and had some good wine. You know, that balance: work hard and play hard. That\u2019s my play hard. [laughs]<\/p>\n I don\u2019t play hard in the way that I party hard; I play hard by taking care of myself. I rest, I write, I rejuvenate and I recuperate from that extensive hard work. I get inspired for the next season and for other work that I\u2019m partaking in. Allow yourself to enjoy it. Therein lies the motto of everything. I\u2019m learning to practice that more. Allow myself to enjoy it no matter what it is. That goes for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about that a lot as I partnered with Astellas Pharma on the Veozah campaign, which is an FDA-approved hormone-free treatment for hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause. [You can learn more at VEOZAH.com.] I literally just thought of this this morning\u2026I was reflecting on how the issues I really stand up for and am vocal about are oftentimes surrounded by silence, stigma and shame.<\/p>\n Thirty years ago, it was HIV with Jeanie Boulet in ER.<\/em> Someone close to me was HIV positive and encouraged me to do that storyline. Not just do it\u2014it\u2019s a long story. Part of my personal life is a part of that story. Let\u2019s put it that way. Then cut to 30 years later\u2014literally 30 years later\u2014the very normal transitional period for a woman, whether she experiences symptoms or not, is the phase into menopause.<\/p>\n When I heard an ad for Veozah two years ago, I was watching football and a commercial came on. I was on my way to the kitchen, and I heard, \u2018The hormone-free FDA-approved treatment for hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause.\u2019 I literally was like, \u2018Wait, what? What?\u2019 That\u2019s exactly what I was looking for. FDA-approved! Tested! Safe! I want something that\u2019s scientifically proven. Hormone-free\u2014that was important to me.<\/p>\n \u201cLong story short, I went to my doctor. I took the liver test needed to start the medication, got a prescription and my body responded in such a positive way to the treatment that I reached out to Astellas Pharma. I was like, \u2018I\u2019ve got to partner with you. I\u2019ve got to help get the word out about this. What do you think? Let\u2019s partner.\u2019 People know who I am. I\u2019m respected in this field, the right age and blah, blah, blah, but it literally could not be more authentic than the way I\u2019m already using it. I\u2019m coming to you because I want to help erase that silence, stigma, shame and fear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFear. Fear. Fear. No, there\u2019s no need for it because the solutions are available. It may not be this one. However, from my perspective, in my life and experience, everything always comes down to connection and communication. Connecting as human beings, connecting as women and communicating together and into the world that this is okay, it\u2019s natural and it\u2019s nothing to be ashamed of. No more shame, no more silence, no more stigma; only grace, growth and gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt still happens to this day. You know what\u2019s happening now? I\u2019ll tell you a funny story. In my neighborhood in New York City, I was walking down the street, and this couple was walking toward me. They were maybe a little older than me, but a similar age. They stopped and said, \u2018Oh, excuse me, you\u2019re Gloria Reuben.\u2019 I said, \u2018Yes, I am.\u2019 Then they started congratulating me. \u2018We just loved you in ER<\/em>, and it\u2019s so nice to meet you.\u2019<\/p>\n I ran my errand and was circling back home on the other side of the street when I saw the same couple walking the other way about 15 minutes later. The three of us stopped, and I was like, \u2018Oh my gosh, how funny is this? Don\u2019t you love New York City? This is so great. Have a great day.\u2019 They said, \u2018We also want to tell you we love you in Boston Blue<\/em>.\u2019 Again, isn\u2019t that funny? How it all comes full circle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it beautiful and amazing? How lucky am I? This length of time later, from bookend, and I\u2019m not saying that there aren\u2019t more books to be written! The books will expand, but at least in these past 30 years, which is a difficult number to say, but it\u2019s true, from ER<\/em> to Boston Blue<\/em>, the same couple, 15 minutes apart, in New York City, opposite sides of the street. Yes, Jeanie Boulet has certainly left a lasting impact! What an amazing thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWe all know your career from different times in our lives. Right now, you\u2019re in Boston Blue<\/em>. Tell us where you are as you wrap up and get to the finale this May?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
You are doing the network, the series, the long days. How do you make sure you have a good balance with your schedule?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The dream.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
I love that. You\u2019re also very vocal about women over 50 and moving the whole menopause conversation, which we talk a lot about over here. Why is it important for you to speak out about it? What made you talk about it out loud\u2026when, for so long, nobody did?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Shake the fear!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
That\u2019s powerful. Thank you for sharing that and speaking out about it. Thank you for speaking out on everything you have over the years. My last question before we wrap: How often do people come up to you, reach out to you and just tell you how much your character of Jeanie meant to them?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
That\u2019s amazing.<\/strong><\/h2>\n