Looking back also required Gless to revisit some rockier times, like the divorce of her parents during her childhood, a difficult patch within her own marriage to Barney Rosenzweig, the producer of Cagney & Lacey, as well as overcoming alcoholism and pancreatitis. She sees these moments, however, as powerful parts of her identity. “I’m still standing! I wouldn’t be who I am today, and I don’t think I would have had the career I’ve had, which has been really wonderful, if I hadn’t had the pain that goes along with growing up and divorce and menopause and marriage.” We spoke with Gless about what fans can expect from her book, her favorite sugar substitute and how she’s focusing on her health this year. How do you start your new year? Every year, I always start out with the obvious: I want to get in shape. I don’t come from a time where everybody worked out at a gym. I was raised in the era of Marilyn Monroe. Thin people just weren’t current. But every year, I try, and I sign up for swimming. I swim 50 laps every time I go. And I work with a trainer for an hour. But I’d be lying to you if I said I did that all the time. I also focus on keeping myself emotionally healthy. That’s the most important thing to me, that my heart’s in the right place and I have dreams ahead of me. I make a conscious effort to have a dream or a wish to go for. So, for New Year’s, I concentrate on dreaming on things I want for my future—because I’m going to live forever! Nutritionally, what do you focus on? I come from a long line of diabetics, so I have to watch my sugar intake. I try not to eat ice cream out of the container, and that’s my hot tip to everybody! Just put a scoop in a bowl—that’s enough. I have a thing for blueberries. My doctor says they’re OK for diabetics, in moderation. So when I’m behaving myself, I do tend to go for fruit. But please know I love ice cream. I love candy. I’m 78 years old, and I’m still standing. So, I do enough of it correctly. You write about your journey through alcoholism in your book. What was the impetus for getting sober? I started my book with the title. I was in rehab and at the time, there was a lot of scandal because “Christine Cagney was an alcoholic!” and the press was asking, “Was she drunk when she did those scenes?” I was not, but when I got out, a friend of mine said, “You were in rehab?” I kept it very hush-hush. But I said, “Yeah, I was. Apparently, there were complaints.” My husband burst out laughing, and it’s been an expression of mine ever since. So, I wrote a book about all the complaints about me throughout my life. The reason I want to stay sober is hopefully to achieve dignity of some kind. I don’t want to wake up in the morning wondering what I did or who I offended. It’s not who I am. That’s not my goal. Had you had any other health scares? I was diagnosed with pancreatitis a while back. The first big bout I had took a week to get me out of pain. The doctor said, “Sharon, if you ever have another drink again, don’t call me.” I was sober for 15 years but relapsed for several years. Then I had the pancreatic attack and the doctor said, “I don’t care. Don’t call me.” And I heard him. So, I quit. Emotionally and mentally, how do you focus on yourself and your health? I really believe how you feel in your heart is a contributor to longevity. Having a dream, a reason to get up, being kind to people, extending yourself to others. I’m sounding like a saint and, believe me, I’m not. But I have a sense of humor, which I think has sustained me. Having a sense of purpose is huge. I love going to work every day. I love being an actor. You can have the best diet in the world but if you don’t have a reason for getting up in the morning, what’s the point? How else do you take care of your mental well-being? There’s an inner health that’s just as important—dreaming, kindness, laughter keeps me going. And I think that’s the secret to my longevity. I do guided meditations. I wish on thunderstorms. I still make wishes for my future. And very seldom do I dwell in the past. I’ve been studying metaphysics for many years, and I focus on the future. How do you reflect on your 30-year marriage? People ask how my husband and I have stayed together for 30 years. The secrets are separate bathrooms and don’t stay too long in the same town. When my marriage was going through a rough patch, I went to Canada and shot Queer as Folk. Eventually, we made it back together again. I think taking off had a lot to do with it. We both calmed down. Menopause also didn’t help. It was rough. It’s hard to get through, but we did. And sometimes you just have to leave the room to stop the fighting. COVID also bonded us. We were thrown together so much, we got to know each other again. Do you enjoy living relatively outside of the limelight? I’m from Los Angeles. I’m a fifth generation Angeleno, so my family never left. But Barney wanted to retire, and he didn’t believe he could retire in Hollywood and live there. So, he picked Fisher Island off of Miami, and we moved here. And the thing I love most is the look on his face. He’s so happy here. And I’m married to a man where if he’s not happy, nobody’s happy! But he’s the first feminist I ever met. He always says, “Go do what it is you need to do.” So it’s a wonderful life for me. Looking back on your success with Cagney & Lacey, what’s it like? When filming Cagney & Lacey, we didn’t know we were role models. It was the first drama ever starring two women. We dealt with cancer, alcoholism and sexual harassment in the workplace long before it was fashionable. It was the first series with female directors and writers. Eventually, we did a women’s march in Washington, and Tyne [Daly] and I held a sign in the front with Gloria Steinem. They asked Tyne and me to step out on stage in front of the Washington Monument. Thousands and thousands of women were out there, and they went crazy. They started screaming and clapping and crying. I looked down and said, “Oh, my God. This is the result of what we did.” We’ve received many honors because of Cagney & Lacey. The New York Police Department brought us back to New York to celebrate our portrayal. Our badges we wore were real police badges, and they retired those numbers. What’s funny is the network would get complaints from the police department saying we had to buckle up. Police would pull people over and say, “You’re not wearing a seatbelt.” And they’d say, “Well, Cagney and Lacey don’t wear one.” Cagney didn’t follow anybody’s rules, so it was written into the script that I wouldn’t do it. Mary Beth would say, “Christine, buckle up, or I’m not starting the car.” But I enjoyed playing a character who didn’t follow the rules. Your other characters have had major impacts as well. What have you learned from your other roles? I’ve been advocating for the gay community since Queer as Folk. I learned so much from that show. I realized the impact that show had and that I could personally have. That’s another thing that keeps you young, taking care of other people, not just yourself. How did the your childhood inform the way you see the world today? When I was young, I was going through a very painful time with my parents’ divorce. I was only 14. I would go to the movies during Christmas vacation and watch Auntie Mame twice a day. Movies were my therapy. I loved Jean Arthur, Doris Day, James Garner and Robert Wagner, who taught me how to behave on set. Then I learned from Tyne Daly, who came from a theater background.
