For me to get the support and the love and response we did from critics, but to also be at Trader Joe's and have women come up to me and cry and hug me is on another level. That makes you take a step back because there are genuine emotions at stake. People were truly on a journey with her. This story opened up week by week like a flower. It was just a magical season, and I'm so happy I got to do it.

Every one and every single time is different, and I didn't have C-sections, which I don't know if that's lucky or unlucky, but I was able to feel every contraction. You forget what it feels like. God's got a great way of making women forget what it's like because we would never go through it again.

I've learned from life experiences. If you go through certain things, you're able to pull from them.

I'm not saying you need to become a spokesperson for every cause your character goes through, but it's important to absolutely do the best job we can in portraying a disease, and all the crap that goes with it.

Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was supposed to do. I didn't want to exploit it or be too "actory" about it, if that makes any sense. That's also why I didn't shave my head; I feel like you have to earn that. I applaud other actors who do that and I am not ripping on them, but to me, that's a badge of honor if you're fighting this disease.

Yeah, I think there are a lot of things about Cleveland that I miss. Los Angeles is a funny place to live.

I left L.A. and moved to Cleveland for four years in the early 2000s or whatever. I came back and thought that everything had changed. I was like, 'Oh my God, I don't think I ever fit in here. And wait, who are all of these celebrities that are not actors? Where did all of the actors go?