Sharon Gless Recalls Gaining Weight For A Role; Says It Was 'Dumbest' Decision

Sharon Gless once chose to gain 40 pounds for a role and she now feels it is one of the "dumbest" decisions in her life.

The 78-year-old actress explained in her newly released memoir, titled "Apparently There Were Complaints" that she was offered a fat suit for a character named Annie Wilkes but she chose to gain 40 pounds instead, Page Six reported.

"When I got it [the role], they said, 'We'll make you a fat suit,'" Gless told the outlet Tuesday. "Well, I had just gone into menopause. I said, 'You don't have to do that, I'll take care of that!' One of the dumbest things I've ever done in my life."

Gless, who performed in the 1992 play "Misery," revealed that her husband, producer Barney Rosenzweig, was shocked after seeing her during the show.

"He hadn’t seen me for a month, he didn’t know who I was. That upset him very much," she recalled. The "Cagney and Lacey: The Return" star noted that gaining those pounds was easy because of menopause.

However, the actress reflected on her experience and noted, "The toughest thing I’ve ever been through and I’m sure it’s the toughest thing my husband’s been through. There’s no joking about it if you’re going through it, you don’t know who you are."

The actress admitted that she struggled due to her increased weight for a long time.

"To be honest, I think there is way too much emphasis on size in our business," Gless added. "How about the actress being good? It’s a big issue in our business [although] It’s much fairer now."

Gless' memoir consists of various subjects, including how the actress struggled with addiction and her blind date with director Steven Spielberg.

On the work front, Gless will feature in a drama movie, "Constance," which is helmed by director Jesse Peretz. The movie also stars Elisabeth Shue and Kevin Dunn.