Lisa Ann Walter, known for her role in "Abbott Elementary" and as the face of Centrum’s Hot Conversations campaign, is speaking out against the stigma surrounding menopause.
The actress is adamant about shedding the term "the change" and addressing menopause openly. "Aging as a woman in this country shouldn’t be a punchline or something shameful," Walter states. "In my mother’s generation, no one talked about menopause openly. It was discussed in hushed tones, much like how periods were once referred to as 'the curse.' Anything related to being a woman was tied to shame."
Walter’s perspective aligns with many others. A 2023 survey by Carrot Fertility found that 72% of 2,000 working women in the US and UK felt embarrassed dealing with menopause symptoms at work. Additionally, 90% believed that increased public awareness would foster more support.
Elevate Your Gifting Experience
Reflecting on these statistics and the double standards in Hollywood, Walter jokes, "If men experienced menopause, there would be contests for it, like who has the hottest hot flash."
Walter’s own experiences with menopause have been varied. She recalls a callback for a role where a hot flash overwhelmed her. Despite being the writer’s first choice, she struggled to deliver her lines. "I was too embarrassed to say, 'I’m not nervous, I’m just old and having a hot flash,'" Walter shares. "Women are pressured to maintain youth or the illusion of it, which is unfair and undermines the benefits of maturity and experience."
Walter finds empowerment in sharing her menopause journey. She recounts how her friend Whoopi Goldberg cast her in "Strong Medicine" as a comic dealing with menopause when she was in her mid-30s. Initially shocked, Walter later embraced the role. "I told Whoopi, 'Let me write the jokes,' because I didn’t want every joke to be about dryness."
Through the challenges of menopause and aging, Walter has continued to thrive in her career, notably starring in the SAG Award-winning series "Abbott Elementary". She credits her resilience to wisdom from her mother.
"She told me, 'I don’t feel any different inside than when I was 17. I know I’m getting older, I have a mirror, but inside, I’m the same person,'" Walter recalls. "I’ve held onto that."
Reflecting on her career longevity and her "Abbott Elementary" co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph, Walter applies her mother’s lesson to her own life. "Nothing is guaranteed about what you can do or when you should do it. I feel the same optimistic, energetic person I was in high school. I know more and have more wisdom, but I feel just as fresh and happy as I did then."
The Quran - Chapter Al-Mumtahanah: 11
And if any of your wives desert you to the disbelievers, and later you take spoils from them, then pay those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of whatever ˹dowry˺ they had paid. And be mindful of Allah, in Whom you believe.
