Exclusive: Gloria Reuben on Menopause, ‘ER’ and Why Silence Helps No One

With a career spanning decades, Gloria Reuben has consistently delivered powerful, socially impactful performances, from her groundbreaking portrayal of Jeanie Boulet on ER, one of television’s first nuanced HIV-positive characters, to commanding roles across film and television.

Today, she stars in CBS’s hit drama Boston Blue as Mae Silver, the Boston District Attorney, a role she describes as the “perfect fit.” Last year, she also appeared in the Amazon thriller The Better Sister alongside Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel. Off-screen, she has become one of the most vocal advocates for women navigating life over 50—speaking candidly about perimenopause, menopause and the silence that has long surrounded both.

We all know your career from different times in our lives. Right now, you’re in Boston Blue. Tell us where you are as you wrap up and get to the finale this May?

“Well, 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’s an expansion of the Blue Bloods 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’s very reflective of many families in this country and in the world. It’s a great show to be a part of, for sure.

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’re just diving into those things, and I love it. I’m enjoying it. It’s extremely, again, fulfilling and just complex and wonderful. Perfect fit for me.”

You are doing the network, the series, the long days. How do you make sure you have a good balance with your schedule?

“Well, that’s a good question because it really is a marathon. It’s been a number of years since I’ve been on a 20-episode series. Let’s just put it this way: it’s definitely stamina-building, and until you’re in it, you don’t know how well your stamina will hold up.

Since I’ve 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’re filming in Toronto, so it is a little tricky to be away from home in New York City. However, it’s close enough, thankfully, with that little airport, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, that flies direct into Newark. It’s 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’s a win-win.

And I definitely lucked out with the apartment I’m living in in Toronto because it has a pool.”

The dream.

“Yes! 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’s 4:30 in the morning or nine o’clock at night. What I really love to do is swim. I’ve gotten back into swimming because I’m living in this apartment. I swear, I’m like a dolphin. Well, I’m like a mermaid. That’s a better one. I prefer mermaid over dolphin. Both are great!

But yes, the balance of exercise, for sure. Rest as much as possible, drink a lot of water—all 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’s 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’s my play hard. [laughs]

I don’t 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’m partaking in. Allow yourself to enjoy it. Therein lies the motto of everything. I’m learning to practice that more. Allow myself to enjoy it no matter what it is. That goes for anything.”

I love that. You’re 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…when, for so long, nobody did?

“I’ve 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…I was reflecting on how the issues I really stand up for and am vocal about are oftentimes surrounded by silence, stigma and shame.

Thirty years ago, it was HIV with Jeanie Boulet in ER. Someone close to me was HIV positive and encouraged me to do that storyline. Not just do it—it’s a long story. Part of my personal life is a part of that story. Let’s put it that way. Then cut to 30 years later—literally 30 years later—the very normal transitional period for a woman, whether she experiences symptoms or not, is the phase into menopause.

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, ‘The hormone-free FDA-approved treatment for hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause.’ I literally was like, ‘Wait, what? What?’ That’s exactly what I was looking for. FDA-approved! Tested! Safe! I want something that’s scientifically proven. Hormone-free—that was important to me.

“Long 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, ‘I’ve got to partner with you. I’ve got to help get the word out about this. What do you think? Let’s partner.’ People know who I am. I’m respected in this field, the right age and blah, blah, blah, but it literally could not be more authentic than the way I’m already using it. I’m coming to you because I want to help erase that silence, stigma, shame and fear.”

Shake the fear!

“Fear. Fear. Fear. No, there’s 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’s natural and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. No more shame, no more silence, no more stigma; only grace, growth and gratitude.”

That’s 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?

“It still happens to this day. You know what’s happening now? I’ll 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, ‘Oh, excuse me, you’re Gloria Reuben.’ I said, ‘Yes, I am.’ Then they started congratulating me. ‘We just loved you in ER, and it’s so nice to meet you.’

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, ‘Oh my gosh, how funny is this? Don’t you love New York City? This is so great. Have a great day.’ They said, ‘We also want to tell you we love you in Boston Blue.’ Again, isn’t that funny? How it all comes full circle?”

That’s amazing.

“Isn’t it beautiful and amazing? How lucky am I? This length of time later, from bookend, and I’m not saying that there aren’t 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’s true, from ER to Boston Blue, 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.”