HER MOST MEMORABLE ROLES
blue moon to appear publicly.” But those aren’t
long-term solutions. Thanks to friend and fellow ac-
tress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS, Blair was
introduced to the Alinker bike, a device designed for
the differently abled to help them keep moving (see
sidebar). Its design allows Blair to take longer, less
labored walks. “It’s changed my life,” she says.Her support system has
been a game changer.
As a self-described loner, Blair admits she’s always
had trouble asking people for help, aside from herAnother Life
Her latest role is
her first job post-
diagnosis. “She is
perfect in this role,”
says executive
producer Noreen
Halpern. “I challenge
any viewer to see
anything but her
amazing strength.”Hellboy
Blair had
superpowers as
firestarter Liz
Sherman in the
2004 film and its
2008 sequel.‘My life isa littlesloppier, andI let that bebeautifulnow’ever-present symptoms, which also include spas-
modic dysphonia, a weakening of the vocal cords that
makes her voice waver and tremble and can impede
speech. Still, Blair manages to maintain a schedule
built around her son: “Arthur usually wakes me up at
6 a.m. I prepare my coffee and get something in my
stomach and make Arthur breakfast. We have play-
time or hang-out time, and then I drive him to school
whenever I can. Usually I get back in bed for about an
hour until I’ve recharged enough to do some work.”
Because every aspect of her life is more challeng-
ing, Blair makes sure to recognize daily victories no
matter how small. “I celebrate everything! If I take
a shower, if I put on eyeliner,” she says with a laugh.
Her son is proud of his ‘brave’ mom.
Like most parents, Blair is constantly worrying
about her kid. “He’s had to endure a lot; he’s seen a
lot,” she says, including watching Mom fall down
stairs or rush to a bathroom if she’s feeling sick.
Arthur sees through her physical weaknesses,
though: “He says, ‘Mommy’s not sick. Mommy’s
brave.’ ” He recently made Blair beam when he told
her he loves having her visit his school because she
“makes the kids laugh, and you answer all their
questions.” Blair says she’s honest with the kids
about why she “walks and talks funny.” “I explain
what’s happening and that my voice doesn’t hurt,
and we have really decent exchanges,” she says. “I
had no idea Arthur was proud of that. I thought,
‘I’m probably an embarrassment,’ but to know I’m
not was one of my proudest moments.”
She’s finding new ways to get around.
Although Blair is able to walk and move with the
use of a cane, she’s slower than she once was. “I’m
unsteady, my legs give way, one drags,” she explains.
“I can pull it together for short periods or take a cer-
tain medication that will help if I take it once in a
Anger Management
In the FX series, which aired
from 2012 to ’14, Blair played
a therapist and “sex buddy”
opposite Charlie Sheen.Legally Blonde
In the 2001 hit, Blair
played a smart and
snobby law student
battling her Cruel
Intentions costar
Reese Witherspoon.Cruel Intentions
Blair’s 1999 turn
in the Les Liaisons
Dangereuses adaptation
costarring Sarah Michelle
Gellar is a cult favorite.
“I loved that movie,”
she says.Her
Triumphant
Moment
Four months
after revealing
her diagnosis and
mobility issues,
Blair appeared
at the Vanity
Fair Oscar party
using her custom
cane, dressed
in a Ralph &
Russo gown.