When actress Olivia Munn isn’t on set filming the Apple TV series Your Friends & Neighbors, walking a red carpet, or appearing on a late-night talk show, she’s probably talking to a group of women about her breast cancer journey. Most often, women approach her first, asking specific questions about her diagnosis while reflecting about their own, hoping for a path forward after hearing the words, “You have cancer.”
For Munn, retelling her story is never easy, but after her diagnosis, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life to advocating for women, especially those facing breast cancer.
“I’ll tell my story as many times as I need to because that’s what spreads awareness and lets other women know they’re not alone,” Munn says.
This summer, she started sharing a series of Instagram posts detailing the personal details of her cancer journey. Having grown up playing sports, always physically active and navigating through a body-conscious industry, health and wellness have always been important.
Already in her early 40s in 2023 and proactive about her health, Munn got a mammogram, an ultrasound, and genetic testing, which could determine many possible cancers. The results were all negative. At an OB/GYN appointment soon after, her doctor suggested she take the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator, a free online tool that helps women and their healthcare provider better understand their likelihood of developing breast cancer based on a number of factors including age, weight, height, ethnicity, and family history. Depending on the resulting risk score, a doctor can determine if more intensive screenings are necessary. In Munn’s case, her score prompted her OB/GYN to order an MRI, which led to a biopsy and her diagnosis of stage I luminal B breast cancer in both breasts. Bilateral luminal B breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer with lower hormone receptors and high recurrence.
“The first step in battling cancer is to let yourself be afraid. Let yourself cry. Let yourself be vulnerable. Let yourself feel alone. Let all of those feelings wash over you because they're natural and normal,” Munn says. “For me, it was shock, then sudden fear, and then trying to focus and listen to everything my doctor was telling me. You have to know that there is a mountain in front of you and the only way to make it to the other side is to climb up and climb down.”
It’s the same advice she gave to her mother, Kim, who after much reluctance, took a lifetime risk assessment test. When she got a high score, Munn insisted her mother move forward with further tests. An MRI detected a mass, and nearly two years after her daughter’s cancer, Kim was diagnosed with stage I HER2-positive breast cancer.
"My mom was always on top of me to go to the dentist and the doctor, but now she didn’t want to do this," Munn says. "When I finally asked her why, she said it was because she didn't want to hear bad news. Cancer wants you to be afraid and look the other way. Not knowing is not going to stop it. All it does is delay when you'll find out, which can leave you in a much worse situation."
Her mother underwent a double mastectomy, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, and monthly transfusions. Ultimately, Munn strongly believes the lifetime risk assessment test probably saved both of their lives and has the potential to do the same for countless other women.
The Winding Road of Recovery
Just a month after her diagnosis, Munn underwent a 10-hour double mastectomy (like her mother) and in the last three years, she has had four additional procedures, including a breast reconstruction and a partial hysterectomy to remove her uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, resulting in surgical menopause. (Doing so reduces her estrogen production and may mitigate the risk of cancer recurrence.) Though she’s in remission, Munn continues receiving treatment to ensure she stays that way.
For many cancer survivors, the journey doesn’t end with chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. There are still years of procedures and treatments ahead to ensure they remain cancer free, which can take physical and mental tolls. While she’s incredibly aware of her privilege—lucky to be diagnosed early and grateful for the access to great care—she’s still frustrated by having to navigate several side effects and changes to her body.
“When you have hormone-sensitive breast cancer, it’s difficult to hear people say you’re ‘cancer free,’” Munn says. “I've done all the surgeries, but I'll still have to take medicine for the next five to seven years to suppress the cancer. It's been hard, but besides talking to my doctor and trying different treatments, I make an effort to cook as much as I can because then I can control and know exactly what’s going into my body.”
Munn starts each day with three hard-boiled eggs for a healthy dose of protein and energy. She eats more leafy greens than ever before and cooks with the spices and techniques familiar to her Asian heritage without compromising her health. She loves searching online for new recipes and finds joy in the small, everyday rituals of family life with her husband, comedian/actor John Mulaney, and their children, Malcolm, 4 and Méi, 2. And yet, when it comes to working out, Munn sometimes struggles to find the motivation to follow through. She doesn’t like running or weightlifting, but growing up practicing taekwondo has reignited a passion she thought she’d lost. Combined with meditation, Munn has discovered ways to keep her mind and body in harmony.
“More so than any time in my life, I’ve started to prioritize my workout regimen and my healthy eating and living,” Munn says. “I have two small children. I need to be here for as long as I can be, and that’s on me. When I think about not going to work out or not wanting to get up and eat that extra protein, the future me is depending on me today to do all the right things.”
From Pain to Purpose to Policy
An accomplished actress, wife, and mother, Munn proudly wears the title of advocate. She sees how much her story has impacted others and wants to continue spreading the word. When she’s not filming or spending time with family, she’s advocating for women facing breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute credited her story with influencing a 4,000% increase in visits to their website to use the lifetime risk assessment tool, which sparked her latest mission. Munn is partnering with Sen. Mark Kelly on legislation to make risk assessment a standard part of every woman’s routine yearly gynecological visits.
“I was ready to take the next step and figure out what I can do that takes the onus off of women to know about the lifetime risk assessment test,” Munn says. “Sen. Kelly and I are working on a bill to try to get every doctor to make the lifetime risk assessment a part of their standard of care. We need doctors on board to help me get this message out and make a long-term effect on women’s health.”
Steeped in her advocacy and moving forward with life, Munn recognizes how breast cancer has led to a vital part of her healing. She’s still learning to quiet the noise about the side effects of her medication, the changes to her body, and the fear of cancer returning. Instead, she’s leaning into gratitude and the reality of her own fierce resilience. She knows she has the courage to face one of life’s greatest fears because she’s already done it and came away learning to always be kinder to herself. Cancer took away many things, but it left her with the ability to focus on what matters most: her survival.
“Wanting to live and fight for your life simply means that you love yourself enough to do so,” she says.
