Olivia Munn has a lot going on. The star of Apple TV's "Your Friends & Neighbors" is busy filming the series' third season while parenting her two children, Malcom and Méi, with her husband, John Mulaney, and serving as the new face of Anne Klein's fall-winter 2026 campaign. All of this while getting ready for fashion month and the upcoming 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony.
But Munn is a master of finding beauty in the chaos. Especially after a roller coaster last few years, in which the actress battled back-to-back health issues. Following the birth of her son in 2021, Munn's battled the depths of postpartum anxiety.
Then, in April 2023, the actress was diagnosed with "an aggressive, fast-moving" Luminal B breast cancer in both breasts. Having detected
the cancer early, she acted quickly, and by the following year, Munn had five successful surgeries, including a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, and a partial hysterectomy. Then, in September 2024, she welcomed her daughter via surrogate.
Now, with the dust of the last few years settling, Munn is recentering her focus on what brings her happiness, such as going back to work, hanging out with her close girlfriends, date nights with her husband, and all things fashion. And even better yet, advocacy through fashion.
"Women change women's lives," Munn tells USA Today of her partnership with Anne Klein. The famed American designer herself died at the age of 50 from breast cancer in 1974. "Sometimes the most important thing you can do is remind another woman to take that next step with their health. Those are the meaningful connections that sometimes really can lift you out of your fog."
Below, Munn details more about her meaningful partnership and how her health battles have revamped her personal style (for the better).
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship with Anne Klein and why you were interested in being an ambassador for the brand?
Answer: I was really excited when they first reached out because Anne Klein has always been about women who are accomplished, independent and self-defined. And that just feels very relevant to the women I know and admire today. And the one thing that was really special: Anne Klein was committed to supporting breast cancer awareness, and they were combining that with this campaign. So for someone like myself, who has experienced breast cancer personally, I think that was really important.
From the beginning, I had to see the finish line, and that finish line wasn't just about getting physically better. It was getting back to a better version of myself. It was a return to the person in me that has been fighting for myself for years. The one who has been trying to get to that finish line. And finding that person inside me and making sure that we've hit that finish line together, and we're better and braver than ever before.
Anne Klein is a timeless, classic brand, but talk to me about your personal style. How has your motherhood journey changed your approach to dressing?
Postpartum anxiety was a defining moment in my life as a woman. The feeling of going through postpartum is, in the beginning, very isolating. I was hoping and expecting to bounce back to what I looked like nine months before, and that didn't happen.
I had put on a lot more weight than the doctor had told me was safe and healthy. And for my body frame – I'm 5-5 – it was more difficult to understand how to dress and how to put myself together. Also, having large breasts because of breastfeeding was something so different for me. And I feel like that was the thing that I had the hardest time figuring out. All of my clothes didn't fit anymore.
And so, instead of buying all new clothes, because that became such a difficult hurdle, I shifted my style toward comfort, simplicity and pieces that make me feel confident in my body. I would say that my postpartum made my style more intentional. And I gravitate towards pieces that feel comfortable and effortless, while still feeling polished and like myself. I've become less focused on trends and more drawn to timeless, versatile pieces that work with my body and my lifestyle.
Then, you also had your experience with cancer …
Then, I go through postpartum anxiety that lasted almost a whole year, and just as I am coming out of that fog and that psychosis, I am diagnosed with breast cancer. And that takes me on this whole other journey in battle.
And when I got to a place, like after my four surgeries at that point, I just had this moment where I told myself, "I am tired of not dressing the way that I want to dress. I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I'm tired of not of not feeling like myself every day."
And I just made the decision after going through years of back-to-back battles that I’m just not going to spend the rest of my life feeling like I don't have the outfit to wear. And that was a big motivator for me to be like, "I'm going to figure this out. I'm going to be happy."
A similar attitude to your "Friends & Neighbors" character, Sam. I love that she's trying to find happiness in this very suburban, designer-clad community. And one of my favorite scenes is when she's on the phone talking about her new realtor job and trying to sell houses while organizing her collection of Hermes Birkin bags in her walk-in closet …
That is a fantastic observation that I never made myself. That was the first thing I thought. Because, you know what? That's what they say when you buy expensive things: "It's a great investment!" Which means that you can make money off of it when the time arises …
Right! Which had me thinking: How do you feel about those kinds of status-symbol fashion pieces — whether it's a Birkin or a classic Chanel flap bag? Does that luxury label part of Sam resonate with you?
You know, that's a great question. I appreciate beautiful designer pieces, but I don't think a designer label is what makes an outfit stylish. Exactly. For me, it's more about the way something fits, how it's styled and whether it feels authentic to the person wearing it. I am always happy to invest in a special piece when I really love it, but I don't need the label to feel well dressed.
Our costume designer Jacqueline Demeterio is amazing, and styling the show is really specific because it's quiet luxury. But my character isn't as quiet. She's the one who's come from a blue-collar upbringing and likes the trendier things. And so, being part of that world to her is dressing the part to help keep her and her children involved in the social circles and invited to things and feeling like they're not complete outsiders. But Sam could have sold a few Birkins. At least one and got tuition for her kid.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olivia Munn reveals how her health battles transformed her personal style
