I remember my first friend who got sick. It was 1981, and the disease was called the gay cancer. I don't think the word 'AIDS' came out until '84. I just remember it being terrifying as more people got sick. We didn't know how you could catch it, you heard all kinds of crazy things.
Ellen BarkinI eat cheese and salami and a lot of fried chicken. I eat a big bag of oatmeal-raisin cookies every night and I don't gain weight. I still look OK as long as I'm dressed.
Ellen BarkinIโm tenacious, I think โ I know โ and I do also have a quality where if you tell me I canโt do something, if I know I canโt do it Iโm the first to raise my hand and say, โI canโt do that.โ But there is a big Bronx, New York Jew in me that just says, โReally? Really? You think I โ yes, I can. I can do it. I can do it.
Ellen BarkinI guess I worry about weird existential things, like how do we spend our final act. This is a very emotional question. I can't answer it without crying. I think, You're 56 years old, what did you do? You raised two good kids. What am I going to do now that is as meaningful as that? I don't know the answer yet.
Ellen Barkin