Alicia Witt, singer and actor known for roles in "Urban Legend" and "Mr. Holland's Opus," tragically lost both of her parents when they were found dead in their home in December 2021.
Not long after, Witt began undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2022.
Today, Witt says she is cancer-free and "feeling terrific." Of her personal ordeals, she told CNN in a recent interview that she's found a way to channel her experience from this chapter into her music -- a new 6-song album released on Friday called "Witness."
"The song 'Witness' is one that was born as a sort of mantra," Witt said, adding that parts of the chorus were "on a little bit of a loop as I was really going through the thick of everything."
As she was going through it, she described some of the lessons she learned along the way.
"It's important to realize that if you could get through that, you could get through just about anything."
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What does this EP "Witness" mean to you, especially given everything that you've gone through in the past few years?
Witt: I wanted to be true to me, true to my friends who are my witnesses, and also open (be) enough that anyone listening who has gone through anything like this (who) would be able to recognize themselves. It's now a testament to anyone who went through a similar time. I knew when it was time to get in the studio earlier this year that "Witness" would be the title track, and I wanted it to be the theme of the whole project. I wanted every song on (the EP) to have something to do with either me as a witness, or others witnessing me.
CNN: You made a statement on your social media last year following your parents' deaths where you describe finding them "on the breeze, in a song, in a dream." How does music specifically help you cope with the loss of your parents?
Witt: "Over the Rainbow" very much so reminds me of them. The fact that I got to sing it on the "Masked Singer," they were very near to me through that whole process and it was a magical experience. My parents are very close. I do find them in dreams, I find them in songs, I find them in breezes. It happened just the other day on my birthday, my dad came to me. I was especially missing him and I miss both of them at different times in specific ways. But on my birthday I was specifically missing my dad and I found myself reaching out to him mentally and he sent me a very specific sign. It's fascinating to me that now my dad has this newfound power to connect in this way and I know it's delighting him as much as it is me.
CNN: For others who may be struggling with managing their mental or physical health, or who find themselves in a similar situation, what resources did you tap into to get yourself through it all?
Witt: I don't know how I would have gotten through it without a couple of very specific friends, and I don't know if I would have gotten through it without my dog, Ernest. I can't advocate highly enough for having animals around because they know you better than anyone, and they see the truth and they love you. And then I am a strong advocate for therapy, there's no substitute for actual therapy. I'm encouraged by the amount of people I know who embrace therapy these days.
CNN: Your song "One Last Drink" speaks to a new perspective that you gained post cancer treatment. What do you hope people take away from this track specifically? (Part of Witt's journey to recovery was giving up drinking alcohol. Prior to her cancer diagnosis, she described herself as a moderate drinker, but was advised to refrain from consuming alcohol while undergoing immunotherapy to treat her HER2-positive cancer. Following the completion of her treatment, Witt chose to remain sober and hasn't had a drink in nearly two years.)
Witt: Last year, as I was just starting to think again about dating and what that might look like now that a drink won't be a part of the dating process -- the getting-to-know-you process -- the idea for "One Last Drink" came to me. If this song -- which is genuinely about connecting to a new person and asking them in for the night without the power of a drink -- could maybe help inspire people who are in a similar situation and who have had a similar experience... if it could inspire someone to perhaps consider that going without alcohol is much more fun than they realize, I would be very honored.
CNN: As a cancer survivor, how are you feeling today?
Witt: I feel terrific. I truly feel like the silver lining of what I experienced is, at a relatively young age having the knowledge that something I was doing wasn't agreeing with my body, has given me an opportunity to even more finely tune my diet and to put even more of an emphasis on my physical health.
