Kristin Davis said the unexpected happened to her after she suddenly developed a “scary” bout of shingles on set.
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” the “Sex and the City” star, 60, opened up about developing shingles on her face, which she said forced her to take a break from filming. Davis did not specify when she was diagnosed nor which TV show she was starring in at the time.
“I had a crazy thing happen to me. We were filming the show, and I started getting this pain on my forehead, and I didn’t know what it was,” Davis explained. “I was really tired. I was flying back and forth. We had gone over schedule. My kids were back in L.A., and I ended up getting shingles on my face.”
Davis called the health diagnosis “so scary” after she said blisters spread across her face.
“I got a blistery rash that went down my face,” she told host Barrymore. “It was so scary. I thought shingles only happened on your torso, right? Like, your body. I’ve learned so many things.”
Shingles is a “painful rash illness” that happens when the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, “reactivates” in someone’s body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rash is typically painful, itchy or tingly.
The “And Just Like That” actor went on to caution fans to monitor their health.
“What I learned is you need to talk to your doctor or your pharmacist about your risks for shingles and prevention,” Davis said. “Talk to your own doctor, because everyone’s going to have their own specific situation.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Davis admitted getting shingles “took her by surprise” considering she prioritizes her health.
“I’m really healthy. I take such good care of myself, at least I try,” Davis said. “What I didn’t realize is that we know, scientifically, that when you’re over 50, your immune system weakens. So even if you’re doing all the things, you can still develop shingles.”
Davis isn’t the only celebrity who has opened up about being diagnosed with shingles.
Actor Demi Moore revealed in September that she developed shingles while filming the critically acclaimed horror sci-fi film “The Substance.”
“To give you an idea of the intensity, my first week that I actually had off, where it was just [my co-star Margaret Qualley] working, I got shingles,” Moore told the Los Angeles Times. “And I then lost, like, 20 pounds.”
Watch Davis’ appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” below.
