“You are enough!”

Beloved for her roles in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Only Murders in the Building and now The Gilded Age, funny woman Andrea Martin understands the power of being herself. But at 78, the Tony winner insists she's still a work in progress. Here, she reflects on rejecting worry, fueling creativity and embracing connection

- DEANNA BARNERT

Loss can crush us, but after actress Andrea Martin's friend Claude Tessier was diagnosed with AIDS in 1992, he gave her two unexpected gifts. “Claude always believed I should be on Broadway, but I was living in L.A., bringing up two young boys,” Andrea tells Woman's World. “I was also 45, and I had never considered it.” Wanting to show support for her friend, Andrea auditioned for My Favorite Year. “I got the part and he lived to see me do it—and I won the Tony for it!” she recalls.

Claude’s final days also gave Andrea new perspective. “I couldn’t do much for him, but I could be present for him,” she says. “I’m constantly thinking, I must do more, but in that moment, it was enough to just love each other. I hope to apply that every day.” Here, Andrea shares other lessons about confidence, speaking her truth and finding joy—no matter what.

See Andrea on The Gilded Age!