Jamie-Lynn Sigler kept her MS diagnosis a secret for 25 years

Jamie-Lynn Sigler got emotional during a recent interview with ABC (via Entertainment weekly) in which she discussed her recent guest role on “Grey’s Anatomy” as a doctor with multiple sclerosis. She said the role was extremely personal as she was diagnosed with the condition 25 years ago and felt she had to ‘keep it a secret’ for fear of losing her job.

She told ABC: “If I think back 25 years ago – when I was diagnosed and had to keep it a secret, and thought if anyone knew I had MS it meant I would never work again – and to now be in a position where my MS inspired a role in a storyline on a show like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I would never have believed you.”

Sigler, who at the time was working on the legendary HBO drama “The Sopranos,” was 20 years old when she was diagnosed with MS. She didn’t make the news public until 2017, when she sat down National Multiple Sclerosis Association.

On January 15, Sigler appeared on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Laura Kaplan, a urologist with MS. In her episode she gives Dr. Richard Webber, played by James Pickens Jr., advice on how to best treat his prostate cancer.

Sigler said her goal with the role was to “show someone in their power” and provide an authentic portrayal of someone living and thriving with MS.

“My very first recording of saying the words ‘I have MS’ was very emotional for me,” she said.