Marilu Henner discusses her rare memory and new role in 'The Ask'

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Marilu Henner discusses her rare memory and new role in 'The Ask' Joelle Garguilo has the details. WABC By Joelle Garguilo Tuesday, November 10, 2026 10:21PM Share NEW YORK (WABC) -- Marilu Henner says audiences are an essential part of the experience in her new stage production, "The Ask." "The audience is like a third character on stage with us," Henner said. "And sometimes they laugh hysterically ... and then sometimes they're very quiet, but they lean in. It's a ride." Henner said she was drawn to the play because of its central character, a recently widowed photographer navigating a new chapter in life. "I love a character who has passion," she said. "She's recently widowed, and she just feels like I'm in a position of power and money now. What do I need? What do I want?" The actress also revealed a personal connection to the role. Some of the photographs featured on the set were taken by her oldest sister, a photographer. Henner's own connection to performing stretches back nearly her entire life. She said she was on stage by age 2 1/2 while growing up around her family's dance school in Chicago. "I felt like I grew up in show business," she said. Now decades into her career, Henner said she still enjoys every moment on stage. "It's so much fun," she said. "We hit that stage. We don't stop for, like, eighty-four minutes." Henner is perhaps best known for her role on the hit sitcom "Taxi," which she said changed her life. "All of a sudden, we'd walk down the street together," she recalled. "And I thought, oh my gosh. This is different. This is gonna be different." The cast remains close, she said, with a group text chain that still keeps former co-stars connected. Henner has also become known for her highly superior autobiographical memory, or HSAM, a rare condition that allows her to recall specific details from virtually every day of her life. "They wired me, put me through an MRI. They took 300 measurements of my brain, and they found nine areas 10 times larger than the normal brain," she said. Asked about July 5, 1978, Henner immediately recalled it was a Wednesday and the day of the first table read for "Taxi." When given another date, July 14, 1978, she remembered it was a Friday and the day the show's first episode was filmed. She also recalled the peach-colored blouse she wore that day, a gift from her mother shortly before her death. Henner said her memory has led her to encourage others to be more mindful of their daily experiences. "One of the saddest things I learned, most people remember only eight to 11 events within any given year," she said. "So I'm always telling people ... when you're brushing your teeth for two minutes, scroll through the montage of your day." As for "The Ask," Henner said theatergoers can expect an entertaining and thought-provoking experience. Central Park rape suspect arrested while working in Miami, linked to 2 others 21 minutes ago Stanley Zabar, co-owner of iconic Upper West Side grocery store, dies at 94 12 minutes ago Helicopter pilot made mayday call moments before hard landing on pier in Bayonne 31 minutes ago "If you like to laugh, if you like to gasp, if you like to be educated ... it's a provocative piece of literature, and I think you'll have a great time," she said. ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * Follow us on YouTube * More local news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEW YORK CITY THEATER Watch Live ON NOW Suspect in 3 Central Park rapes arrested working at Miami Burger King 21 minutes ago Stanley Zabar, co-owner of iconic NYC grocery store, dies at 94 12 minutes ago Helicopter pilot made mayday call moments before hard landing on pier 31 minutes ago Coastal low to impact NYC, Tri-State area | Live updates 43 minutes ago Loaded gun found in student's locker at Long Island high school 9 minutes ago EMTs rescue injured bald eagle from side of the road 34 minutes ago Man accused of posing as war hero, stealing $81K from veterans 6 minutes ago Grand jury indicts man on murder charge in Katie Suarez's killing 14 minutes ago