Selma Blair on Acting Through Adversity and the Power of Positivity

Making Space with Hoda Kotb

NBC News

Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Society & Culture, Spirituality, Nbc News, Education, Motivation, Nbc, Today Show, Daily Boost, Self-improvement, Hoda, Today, Self Help, Make Space, The Today Show, Making Space, Feel Good, Making Space With Hoda Kotb, Inspiration, Hoda Kotb, Self Improvement

5 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Selma Blair is an actress, author, and advocate whose career has spanned film, television and stage, with standout performances in "Legally Blonde," "Cruel Intentions," and "Hellboy." After publicly revealing her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS), she has become a powerful voice for chronic illness awareness, inspiring others through her honesty, resilience, and vulnerability. Selma sits down with Hoda to discuss her lifelong health struggles, her relationship with her late mother and the strength that carried her through acting, motherhood and moments of uncertainty. She reflects on her friendships with fellow stars navigating MS, including Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and why she refuses to let anything stand in the way of the life she’s determined to live.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Some stories remind us that true courage is not about avoiding challenges, but it's about facing them with grace, determination, and heart.
0:17.5	Selma Blair's story is one of those.
0:20.0	For more than two decades, Selma has captivated audiences on
0:23.2	screen with iconic roles in cruel intentions, legally blonde, and hellboy. She's a devoted mother
0:29.3	and acclaimed actress, a best-selling author, and a style icon who brings depth and complexity
0:35.3	to everything she does.
0:42.8	But behind the scenes, she's faced a battle so crippling, it almost caused her to step away.
0:47.6	From the time she was a kid, Selma dealt with physical ailments,
0:51.5	from losing control over her body to crying at any given moment.
0:55.4	All along, she was told she was just making it up.
1:04.0	In 2018, after 40 years of struggling, Selma was officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,
1:10.3	opening up a chapter of healing and advocacy in her life. Through her honesty and unwavering spirit, she's shown the world a new
1:12.3	kind of strength, becoming a voice of hope for millions living with chronic illnesses. In our
1:18.1	conversation, Selma opens up about her journey, how she finds light in the darkness, what
1:23.5	keeps her moving forward, and why she believes vulnerability is its own kind of superpower.
1:29.1	I'm Hoda Koppi. Welcome to my podcast, Making Space.
1:48.2	First of all, I'm so happy to see you.
1:54.5	And I just did, I'd like to do a little Google situation before we do an interview.
1:56.5	And I just saw a TED talk.
1:56.7	Oh, no. Oh, this is good, though.
1:57.8	This is good, though.
1:58.7	This is good.
	...

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