Lisa Ann Walter doesn’t just play a brash, outspoken character on Abbott Elementary — if you’ve followed her stand-up comedy or social media accounts, then you know she’s also direct and forthcoming in real life. And it’s not just because she’s known for playing the loud, boisterous Melissa Schemmenti on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary. “I’ve always been very [candid] about all the stages of my life: being a working mom, childbirth, and sex, all the stuff that I talked about as a comic.” But there was one life change she was hesitant about disclosing: menopause. “That means I admit to the world that I’m menopausal, that word,” she tells Katie Couric Media, referring to the negative connotations often attached to the label “menopausal.” But when Centrum approached her about being the face of “Hot Conversations,” a first-of-its-kind workforce menopause training video, she thought, “That’s exactly what I should be doing.”
“I’m very fortunate that people feel close to me, and they feel safe with me because of characters I’ve been lucky enough to play, like with The Parent Trap and on Abbott.” She says because of that, she has a unique ability to help people have meaningful discussions about menopause. We spoke to her about why she feels it’s so important to have these conversations, her go-to exercise routine, her thoughts on aging in Hollywood, and more.
Katie Couric Media: What made you want to do this campaign?
Lisa Ann Walter: So much of women’s health tends to be shamed — like when you’re starting your period, and the biggest terror in the world is, What if, people know, what if I bleed through my pants? Or thinking, I can’t do [certain things] because I have cramps or a heavy flow. There’s so much shame that builds up around [menstruation], and it’s even worse with menopause. Symptoms are so wide-ranging that we don’t have any frame of reference for it. Most doctors, when they’re trained, are given 15 minutes about menopause. It’s ridiculous. So you’re living in this big, wide, scary world of the unknown.
And then, on top of it, once you admit to [going through menopause], you’re deemed old. They used to say as a joke, “Oh, just put me on a nice boat and send me out to sea,” because you’re no longer fertile and you’re no longer seen as sexual, and therefore you’re less than. It’s particularly bad in the workplace, where if a woman is experiencing any symptoms, or she knows she’s in perimenopause or menopause, she’s surrounded by guys making dumb frat boy jokes about dry vaginas, she’s not going to feel safe or comfortable saying, “Oh, don’t worry about me dripping sweat in the middle of the morning meeting, fellas.” So we’re all sitting there hiding our fans in our purses and trying to hide the symptoms. And I think one of the most important things that Centrum is doing with this push is normalizing the conversation, hopefully removing the shame.
Are these life transitions particularly difficult in Hollywood, which obviously has its issues with aging?
I think all of us go through different phases. There are people who desperately try to stay looking like they always did and go under the knife, and there are those of us who make a conscious decision not to. I’m not saying I never got my eyes done — I’ve done a little thing here and there — but when I was in menopause, I had to make a decision to either starve myself and do an hour of cardio or be 10 pounds heavier. I made a conscious decision to prioritize my joy of food. I’m not running. I’m not wrecking my knees. And luckily, I’m in a job where my boss has literally said, “Don’t you dare. Don’t starve yourself. I don’t need you to be cranky at work.”
I’m glad you brought that up because I feel like we’ve seen some positive changes when it comes to how women in this industry age — Andie MacDowell has publicly decided not to dye her hair, and Pamela Anderson has shunned makeup. Do you feel like we’ve been making strides, or do you feel like it’s more the same?
We’re absolutely making strides, I think, as the women from my generation who were raised with a basic kind of feminist ideal that everybody’s different. I think what Pam Anderson did was brave. She’s brave to go out into the world without makeup — not just because she’s a woman at her age, but because of the expectation of the character [she played in Baywatch]. So for her to say, “No, that’s just part somebody I played, but who I am is this,” I think it’s great, and I think it’s in the right direction.
You said you’re not into running, and we know exercise can be so important with menopause symptoms. What is your preferred workout?
Dance — I look forward to my dance class twice a week. And I have a trainer who does strength training, and I very specifically target areas I see changing. My knees are not as flexible — I always say, I can get down like Megan [Thee Stallion], I just can’t get back up. I very specifically target areas that are more likely to get creaky as we age, like knees and shoulders. Believe me, when I am on set, I do my own stunts. I do all sorts of things that people my age aren’t “supposed” to be doing, because I have more energy than I’ve ever had. Maybe that’s due to some of the Centrum products, but it’s also being in a job that I love.
Speaking of your job, season four of Abbot Elementary just premiered. How does it feel?
I’m so excited. I don’t get to see the episodes until they air, but I enjoy watching the show. I really do. I wouldn’t brag about it if I didn’t love it.
Is there something that you’re particularly excited about people seeing this season?
I’m very excited for the [It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia] crossover episode. It’s unhinged. It’s so much fun. And then there’s another episode in the season that I can’t tell you about, but I’m very excited about it.
I saw this viral tweet about how Elaine Hendrix’s character in The Parent Trap is actually not the villain, because she’s the only one who knows what she wants. What do you think it is about this movie that people feel so passionately about so many years later?
I saw that years ago, and Elaine came up with this hashtag, #JusticeForMeredith. And I remember there were some women that were like, “Meredith Blake was 26 years old, had her own publicity firm and dressed in couture, and was engaged to a hot millionaire, and I’m sitting on my couch in sweatpants with Haagen Dazs stains on them.” And I thought that was hilarious.
I think as opposed to some of the other Disney movies, The Parent Trap was also a movie that grown-ups loved because it was romance. So you had kids watching it with their parents on a loop for decades, and when those girls grew up, they wanted bridal showers themed as The Parent Trap. It sort of became this cultural phenomenon. And I’m really happy about it, because I get stopped every single day by people telling me that they love me, and who doesn’t like that?
