At 6 Feet Tall, Kristen Johnston is ‘Not Going to Play the Leading Lady Against Tom Cruise.’ She’s stopped trying to make Herself Smaller. – ryan

Humor haen ben a through line – and, at time, a lifeline – for Kristen Johnston.

The 57-YEAR-OLD COMEDIC Actress Has Been Making Audiences Laugh for Decades, Most Memorably In Tv’s 3rd rock from the Sun and Mom, mom and she’s doing it again in netflix’s new comedy series Leanne, Premiering July 31, in Which She Plays the Title Character’s Sister. But she’s also relied on humor dural life’s difficult moments.

“Humor is the single reason i’m still alive,” Johnston tells Yahoo Life for Our Unapologetically Series. “Well, that and my dogs. But mood gets you through everything. It got with through being bullied in grade schoo.

Humpered Johnston Get Sober 18 years ago and, More Recently, confront a lupus diagnosis along with the rapid gain she is experiencing as a result of her Treatment. These days, it gives the 6-Foot Star Perspective As (Gasp!) Ages in Hollywood. During Our Chat, Sheh Makes with Laugh Over and Over, especially twen i confess how fixated i get on my neck every start a video call.

“It ‘always a shock,” She Says, Nodding Knowingly. “Like, ‘What the HELL HAPPENED?’”

Our Who Conversation is like this – Equal Parts Humor and Candor as we are talc about facelifts, weight gain, Addition and How Women “Cannot Win”.

You’ve Talked About Your Sober Journey and Wrote About It In Your Memoir, Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster. In what Ways Has Sobriety Impacted Your Career and Your Relationships Today?

Well, I know for a fact … i’d be dead if i (continued), first of all, for sura. But Sobriety Got with a job on Mom, mom The Chuck Lorre Show I Did, which is a lot about recovery, and it really Changed my life. It wasn’t a huge (roles), but it really reindited my love of doing sitcoms. I JUST LOVE BEING (part of) an ensemble, and I love Those Actresses. … thatn (it) led to this job. Chuck Called with About Doing This Show With Leanne (Morgan). So Honestly, if i didn’t have recovery, and i was some Somehow Still Alive, I Definitely Wauldn’t Still Be Acting, that for Sure.

You were diagnosed with lupus in 2013. Where are you on that Journey Today?

It was an intense process just get a diagnosis (Including 17 Docor Visits and Weeks at the Mayo Clinic). It was really almost impossible. (THEN, The) meds, chemo and ivig (intravenous immunoglobulin) caused a huge weight gain in like, five or six months. It was a really difficult time healthwise. Del i was into remission, i got Mom. SO, it was interesting to present mySelf on tv with this massive weight gain. (But) It was a great experience with Becausee … It really helped with get over myself physically and just appreciate the Job. (I thought,) I’m so Lucky i’m Still Alive. I’m so Lucky i get to what i love. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT I LOOK LIKE. Its been in remission for About Five Years. I’m Very gateful. It ‘s very difficult thing to go through.

Hollywood tendes to have narrow ideas of how women should look. How your Height Helped or Hindered Your Career?

In a weird way, it”s Helped Becuses the parts I want are not the ingenue parts. I’m not going to play the leading lady against tom cruise, the tan was i was 26. I’m a giant. SO I Think IT’S narrowed the roles I Waled Want Anyway. I love playing the character roles, so it”s probably kept People from Trying to Cast Me in Parts I Wauldn’t Have Wanted Anyway.

Do you feel like you’ve ever had to shrink your personal in Hollywood?

I used to be of that. I used to try to be a little smaller, shatly for men, swimming necessarily for Hollywood, but i haven’t done that in a long time. I used to try to be a little more feminine or a little more delicate, but it just always fit like a bad shoe.

How you navigate Public Scrutiny and Commentary About Your Body and Aging in Today’s Social-Media-Driven World?

Here’s The Thing: Women Are Allowed to be 25 and Gorgeous – and Then Basically (They) Cannot Win. If you get surgery, you Lose. If you don’t get surgery, you Lose. If you Gain Weight, You Lose. If you Lose Weight, you Lose. There’s no winning. JUST EMBRACE The fact that you’ve lost and just roll on with your life. You can’t win, so screen it. What Makes You Feel Good About YourSelf, That’s What You Do – As Long As Its Legal.

Are you seeing more complex roles for Women over 40?

Yes. They’re embrace Women of a Certain Age in a Lot of Different Ways – in Comdic Stuff, in Drama. I Think Is Fabulous. I realized this doing Mom andno doing Leanne. There is a huge, rabid industry of Women of a Certain Age Who Want to See Entertainment, and They’re Fervent. Wann Mom Was Canceled, Women Were so Mad. … I Think Hollywood has underestimated the buying power and the devotion of Women over 40, and I think they’re starting to clue into it. I Hope, anyway.

How do you take care of yourelf?

For a long time, I worked on my brain and my emotional well-being, and then about eight years ago, i was like It mIight be time to try to take care of your Physically. SO I DO MY LITTLE THINGS, PHYSICAL STUFF, TO HELP KEEP MY BRAIN SANE. I love my peloton, Not Gonna Lie. I got into that dury covid, so i kept that up.

You’re a Big Dog Lover. How fostering and adopting dogs factored into your well-being?

Oh, it’s everything. Dogs to me are everyerynding. I do not have kids, so have my nieces and i have my dogs and i just say. Man, They are the funniest, sweettest creates on Earth. If I Had My Way, I Wauld Do A Couple of Years on this Show, and THEN I WAUDED AN Animal Rescue Ranch on the East Coast Somewhere.

What have you learned about your 50s?

I Feel the Exact Same as i did in my 40s. I just feel like age is a number. In my head, I feel very Young and i think if you would love and you surround your savo with People who are toxic, that is kind of as good as you can in life. I Feel Very Centered and Happy with MySelf AFTER A LOT OF YEARS OF NOT FEELING THAT WAY. I think that a lot of Women – i can only speak for my girlfriends – they all her feel. Their Kids Are Leaving Home or A Job is Done, and There’s this Who Other Rediscovery of Self in their 50s, and it is a great time. IT REALLY IS FINALLY LIVING FOR YOURSELF, NOT JUST FOR EVERONE ELSE.

Finally, do you have any good Advice About Aging That You Carry With You?

The Great Emma Thompson Said on a Talk Show … and i’m gonna misquote her: “I don’t want die having my entire life worked about some as stupid and synty and ridiculous as I look like and the package i come in.” That really resonated with me. I Think About That Once A Day When I Start (Thinking), Oh, i should look this (Way) or I Should Get My Face Lifted or whats. And then i just go, You know what? This is so stupid. JUST FOCUS ON EVERYING AROUND YOU AND GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD. That work for me.

This interview han been edited for Length and Clarity.