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Q: What is it about “Cast of Diabetes” that really made you want to be a part of it and champion it?
A: I’m really excited about this campaign and I’m really excited to be a partnered with Sanofi US. It’s called “Diabetes Co-Stars Campaign” and it’s a campaign which raises awareness of diabetes and the co-stars or the people in our lives who help and support us on this journey. I’m going to be making a documentary film, partnering with Sanofi US, about the importance of support in our lives managing diabetes, living with diabetes and the people in our lives who support us. If you go to http://www.diabetescostars.com you can submit your entry and your nominations for the people, if you’re a diabetic or a person living with diabetes, if there’s somebody in your life who is supporting you through this or if you support someone living with diabetes. It’s a very important campaign to me and my husband who is my co-star and is kind of on this journey with me.
Q: Why is it important to be championing this cause right now? Obviously, diabetes is extremely important, but what is it now that makes you want to do the documentary at this point?
A: When I was diagnosed in 2005 with Type 1 diabetes, at the beginning this was not something that I really shared with my coworkers or my family. It was something that I was very isolated with. It wasn’t until I really started opening up to my husband and my family that I realized how vital he was in helping me to manage my diabetes. Together, we learned how to cook differently and how to eat differently. It became a family affair. We learned to exercise more regularly. We had less stress in our lives. I also use insulin; I’m insulin dependent. I use the Lantus SoloSTAR insulin pen, which is amazing. It’s very easy and fits into my schedule. But I had to learn about insulin and to be aware some of the serious possible side-effects like low blood sugar and if you have any allergies. I think it’s an important conversation to have with their doctor about their personal diabetes management. But without the support of my husband, my family and my coworkers on the television show, it’s not something that I was managing as successfully as I am now. That’s why this campaign of “Diabetes Co-Stars” is so important to me, because it’s my story and it was vital to me to have that kind of support. This campaign is to raise awareness about those people, those amazing people in our life who are our support and strength on one of the journeys. It’s a twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week journey that I’m on. So, I thought it would be great to, with Sanofi US, make a documentary involving a nationwide casting call to find other co-stars out there who are out there every day inspiring and cheering on people who are living with the condition of diabetes. We have a website and you can find all the information about submitting a video nomination or a written testimonial. It’s a great website. There’s my story, there’s other links to resources and it’s just a great place to check out. This particular campaign is important to me because a support system like this can provide the encouragement that you sometimes need to overcome the obstacles of living with diabetes and just improve your overall diabetes management.
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•• Actress Elizabeth Perkins is speaking out for National Diabetes Month, the Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress was diagnosed in 2005, so she feels passionate about it. Diabetes is the fastest-growing health epidemic in the world, affecting 26 million Americans and 371 million people worldwide.
I was feeling fatigue, headache, blurry vision, excessive thirst and lost a lot of weight,” said the actress known for her role opposite Tom Hanks in the 1980s flick “Big,” and more recently in Showtime’s “Weeds.” Friends suggested taking antidepressant medication, but Perkins refused. “I didn’t feel good, and the diagnosis just came through a routine blood test,” she explained, adding her blood sugars were in the high 600s. “It’s amazing I hadn’t gone into a coma.” Elizabeth Perkins said she felt isolated by the disease, so she’d take her insulin alone in her trailer while working on set.
“I was worried what the producers were going to think,” she said. It wasn’t until she began to open up about her feelings to her family and co-workers that she realized the power of support. Through the support process, Perkins and her family actually became healthier – they all learned how to eat better and exercise regularly.
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•• Elizabeth Perkins has the best natural beauty tips. How does the star of ”Big,” “About Last Night” and “Weeds” look ageless? “It’s called being happy and loving yourself for who you are,” she insists. “It’s also about not taking life so seriously.” Perkins says that her happiness was almost derailed by a serious medical diagnosis.
“When I was diagnosed with diabetes I felt like, ‘This is the end of the road for me.’ What I came to learn was it was just the beginning of an amazing experience.” This brings us back to the topic at hand: beauty. “I look this way because I eat better these days and I exercise more. Those are truly the best beauty secrets besides water and not tanning. The more you take care of yourself, the better you will look and feel. That’s the true beauty secret.”The 52-year-old native of Queens even takes that up a notch. “If you make taking care of yourself a family affair then everyone will be healthier for it,” she says.
- Elizabeth Perkins on living with diabetes:
Her new campaign called “Diabetes Co-stars.” It honors those special people in your life who help you manage the disease. “We’re making a documentary about it and holding a nationwide casting call cheering on the people living with diabetes.”
You can go to the website diabetescostars.com to nominate someone special in your life who helps you deal with diabetes or has had the biggest impact on your diabetes journey. Or you can share your story of how you inspire a loved one living with diabetes. “I feel very passionate about this campaign,” she says. “We need to honor the people who cheer us on and support us while also offering us strength. Her costar has been her husband, famed cinematographer Julio Macat. Living with diabetes hasn’t been easy. “I felt so alone and isolated after I was diagnosed and no one should feel that way,” she says.
Elizabeth Perkins was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2005. She admits that it wasn’t an easy time for her. “It was very overwhelming to me. I’m someone who tends to isolate and keep to myself,” she says. “The truth was I wasn’t sure how to manage diabetes on my own. “Once I started opening up and seeking support, I realized that I needed a co-star on my journey.
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•• Many of you know Elizabeth Perkins as the talented actress from crowd-favorites like Big, The Flintstones, Miracle on 34th Street, and of course, Weeds, but did you know she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2005? Elizabeth’s passion for diabetes advocacy and awareness is unyielding, which is why Sanofi US is proud to have her on board on Diabetes Co-Stars campaign!
Q: You’ve starred in major films and TV shows and are currently working on the upcoming TV show How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life). When did you first become interested in acting?
A: I have wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember! I studied acting at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago before I traveled to New York in the early 1980’s to pursue my career. I’ve been in the business ever since and it’s been a wonderful, exciting and creative experience.
Q: What has been your favorite role to play thus far and why?
A: I’ve enjoyed every role that I’ve played throughout my career. From Wilma in The Flintstones, to playing opposite of Tom Hanks in Big and then venturing into television on the Showtime series, Weeds. Every character taught me something new and special. I am also very excited about my role in the upcoming show, How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) which is scheduled to air on ABC in Spring 2013.
Q: While many people know you for your acting talents, they may not know that you were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2005. Can you tell us a little about how your life has changed since then?
A: When I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I only shared it with my closest family and friends. I was filming the television series Weeds, so in the beginning I would test my blood glucose and take my medication alone in my trailer. With the encouragement of my friends and family, I sat down with my doctor to talk about how I could improve my overall diabetes management while on set. In addition to treatment, my doctor and I worked out a diet and exercise plan that fits my busy schedule. Now I keep diabetes-friendly foods in my trailer and remember to take a nice long walk with my husband Julio and our dogs when I get home. It helps serve as both exercise and as a calming, stress reliever.
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