Actress Marilu Henner Says Rare Condition Allows Her to Remember ‘Almost Every Single Day’ of Her Life

She was diagnosed with a cognitive phenomenon called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or HSAM.

Marilu Henner visits the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on July 12, 2021. Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Marilu Henner, an actress well-known for her role in the Emmy-winning sitcom “Taxi,” has shared insights into a rare medical phenomenon that allows her to recall nearly every moment of her life in remarkable detail.

During a recent interview with BBC Woman’s Hour, aired on Aug. 5, Henner, 72, explained that she has a neurological condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or HSAM.

“It means, basically, that I remember almost every single day of my life,” she said.

“You can give me any date within my lifetime—I'll tell you what day of the week it was, what I was doing on that day,” she continued.

“People always say, is it a blessing or a curse? I always say it’s a blessing for me. It’s a curse for my husband, which is why I’m on my third and final [marriage],” Henner joked.

Henner, who stars in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series “Aurora Teagarden,” married her current husband, Michael Brown, in 2006. She shares two sons, Nicholas and Joseph, with her second husband, director Robert Lieberman, who passed away in July 2023 at the age of 75 after battling cancer.

Reflecting on her incredible memory, the Broadway star likened her diagnosis of HSAM to having an efficient program installed in her brain.

“It’s like having the best, most organized system,” she told BBC. “It’s like having a computer in your brain that you can easily access.”

Fewer Than 100 Known Cases

Although HSAM has been identified in fewer than 100 people, experts have suggested that thousands may unknowingly have the condition, per the American Psychological Association.

Also known as hyperthymestic syndrome or hyperthymesia, HSAM was first identified in 2006 by researchers at the University of California, Irvine’s Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, according to the center’s website.

People with HSAM can remember specific details about public events as well as personal autobiographical experiences from their past, including where they were, what they were doing, and even what they were wearing on almost any given date.

The exact cause of hyperthymesia is unknown. However, some researchers believe it may stem from biological factors, including brain structure or genetics. Others have theorized that psychological factors, such as obsessive tendencies, may strengthen memory retention and recall.

Speaking with BBC Woman’s Hour, Henner explained that researchers conducted tests on her brain. “They wired me, put me through an MRI, they took 300 measurements of my brain,” she said, adding that doctors found nine areas in her brain that were 10 times larger than the average person’s.

Henner’s experience undergoing an MRI—a medical imaging technique that uses radio waves to produce detailed images of the body’s insides—was documented in a September 2018 episode of “60 Minutes Australia,” which highlighted the actress’s exceptional memory.

During the segment, Henner can be seen passing several memory recall tests with flying colors. “Some [memories] come up like right away and then some other things kind of come up a little more slowly but eventually everything comes up,” she says in the episode.

Elsewhere in the segment, Henner expresses her gratitude for the condition.

“I feel so blessed to have [HSAM],” she says. “I feel like I get to carry all my life lessons with me.”