Selma Blair Talks About 'The Role Of A Lifetime'

By Darlene Donloe

Selma Blair’s life will be on full display when an intimate documentary called “Introducing Selma Blair: The Role of a Lifetime” debuts in theaters on October 15 before airing on Discovery Plus October 21. 

The doc was directed by Rachel Fleit (RF).

The documentary is about up close and personal moments with Selma Blair as she painfully tries to live as normal a life as possible as she battles Multiple Sclerosis.

Blair, who starred in Cruel Intentions and Hellboy, went public with her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in October 2018. She believes going through stem cell treatment is the only thing that will save her.

She pulls back the curtain on her everyday life and lets the audience see what she experiences every day.

At one point in the documentary, Blair is on the phone and tells the caller,  “I can’t talk right now. We’re shooting the final days of my life.”

Selma Blair

Blair (SB) recently sat down at a Television Critics Association session, to talk about the making of the documentary.

Q: Selma, obviously this is personal. Were you looking for a project so you could share your story?

SB:  It was my hope to be able to share that time of looking to process, and what I was going through as a mom and someone diagnosed. I was open to it.

Q:  When you hear of other people going through MS, what advice do you give them?

SB: I don’t know. It’s different. Some are really incapacitated. Others aren’t. When I was diagnosed I wanted to find something. I don’t have any advice. I just wanted to lead by example. If I slow down and have patience, I find, this too shall pass. I’ve always been calm in my diagnosis. I’m learning like everyone else.  When some are diagnosed, they go inward. I came out more because I thought I was batshit. I still could be.

Q: How have you balanced your MS with what’s happening in the world?

SB: When COVID happened, I felt like I entered this pandemic time earlier than everyone else. I felt what I was going through was very universal. I really do feel now that we all have got a diagnosis that is incurable. Everyone has realized our mortality. I don't feel like I hold the key. We’re all in it now, in the same space I was. (Unfortunately, Blair lost her mother during COVID, but couldn’t go to her).

Q: Are people more in tune with what you’re going through. Are they more understanding?

SB: I feel the anxiety some people have. They are forced to slow down.

Q: Through your notoriety, you had to go through this is a public way. Good or bad?

SB:  I’m someone in some ways who doesn't enjoy notoriety, but I have to say, I honestly feel like I have friends. I’m going with that. I’m glad when people feel affected. A lot of times I wish I could get out of California and go home to Michigan and live quietly. I’m thrilled I had this platform. I’m speaking my story and if it normalizes other people to feel comfortable telling their stories – I’m thrilled.

Q:  Rachel, how did you know when something was too personal to show?

RF: Selma and I had an instant connection. We built trust and formed a bond early on. She was ready to tell it in rawness and truth.  The world got to see what was really happening. She became a piece of my heart.

Q: Selma, what is the source of your strength?

SB: It really is my son. It’s not that MS was on a path killing me. A flare happened for so long. It’s for my son. I have no desire to leave him alone right now. None. I never really liked life that much. But I do now. I was scared of life.

Q: What is your prognosis?

SB: My prognosis is great. I’m in remission. HSCT put me in remission. Took a year for inflammation to go down. I had a need to be more healed. It doesn't look like this for everyone.

Q: You ever find yourself wondering why me?

SB: No, I never did. I used to scream with menstrual cramps. Why me? I really did, but I never did why me with this. I always felt I could rise to this.