Taxi was a big hit when it aired in the late '70s and early '80s. And while those who watched the show might remember the details of a favorite episode or two, you can bet that star Marilu Henner remembers everything. Henner came to fame playing Elaine Nardo on Taxi, and while she's still acting today, she's also known for something else: her unbelievable memory. The 69-year-old has highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM)—also known as hyperthymesia—meaning that she can remember details from every day of her life, dating back to when she was a young child.
Henner has written about having HSAM, but it's far from the only topic she's explored with her writing. She's written 10 books, continued acting, and raised children since her Taxi days. Read on to learn more about Henner's career and personal life in the time since the sitcom went off the air.
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She's still acting, both on the screen and on the stage.
Kathy Hutchins / ShutterstockBefore appearing in Taxi, Henner was a theater actor and was in the original production of Grease. She has returned to the stage throughout her career, playing roles in Broadway productions of Chicago and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, among others.
As for movie and television roles, after Taxi, she starred in the series Evening Shade and in the movies Cannonball Run II, The Man Who Loved Women, and L.A. Story. Some more recent appearances include Grey's Anatomy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Two and a Half Men. She also appears in the long-running Hallmark movie franchise, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. "I hope we just keep doing them and doing them," she told Smashing Interviews of the series in 2016. "It’s always great to be with the same people. We’re like a little repertoire company now."
She's had some fun on reality TV.
ABCIn addition to her acting roles, Henner has also appeared on TV as herself in a couple of reality TV shows. In 2008, she took part in The Celebrity Apprentice, and in 2016, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. On Dancing with the Stars, she finished in sixth place.
She's written nine books.
DFree / ShutterstockHenner has written a variety of books, including a memoir, a book about her memory, a book she co-wrote with her husband about his battle with cancer, and books about parenting and health.
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She's opened up about the rare experience of having HSAM.
John Lamparski/Getty ImagesAs reported by Reader's Digest, only about 60 people in the world have been diagnosed with HSAM, and Henner is one of them. She can remember specific information about any day spanning back to her childhood. Because of her rare memory, Henner was a consultant on—and had a role on—the series Unforgettable, about a woman with hyperthymesia.
"I don’t know anything different. I only know my memory because I was born with this kind of memory," she told Smashing Interviews. "It’s unusual. My family knew it was unusual when I was a little child. People would come to the house and say, 'What’s with that kid and her memory? She knows the date of when I was here last time, what I was wearing and everything else.'"
She's married and has two children.
David Livingston/Getty ImagesHenner has been married three times: to actor Frederic Forrest, director Robert Lieberman, and her current husband Michael Brown, whom she wed in 2006. She shares two children with Lieberman.
When Henner and Brown got married, it was announced in The New York Times, and they were interviewed. Of her memory of the wedding, Henner said, "I remember every detail of getting dressed. I can see exactly where everyone was standing in that moment when we lit the candles." Brown said of disagreements with his wife, "Since her memory is factual, there’s no point in arguing it. She can tell you everything that happened on Christmas in 2005.”
