'Unforgettable' Inspiration Marilu Henner Talks About First Encounter With Johnny Carson On New Podcast

By Christy Strawser

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Do you remember what you had for breakfast? Probably. But do you remember what you had for breakfast on the 17th day after you turned 4 years old?

Marilu Henner does.

Henner, 63, an inspiration for the term 'sexygenarian,' showed off her stupendous memory on a play.it podcast with Detroit's own Seth Gold. Hear it HERE.

In the course of the discussion where she talked about everything from Donald Trump's behind-the-scenes behavior to her ultra healthy lifestyle, her books, upcoming series, and her role on "Unforgettable," the star talked about an encounter with Johnny Carson that she says would never happen for a young actress today.

"People were much, much more inappropriate back then," Henner said, adding, "The first time I walked on 'The Tonight Show,' you have to imagine I'm just on 'Taxi,' it's my first appearance on 'The Tonight Show,' I'm on with Johnny Carson ... I walk out on stage, I'm wearing a silk blouse and he looks at me and he goes 'Oh, it's cold backstage, huh?'"

"I was dying, I went beet red ... You would never, ever say that to a young actress (now)," she said.

She certainly remembers it in detail.

According to an AARP interview, Henner has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or H-SAM — the ability to recall the slightest details of nearly every day she has lived. There are 13 known cases worldwide.

"Give Henner a year, and she'll tell you what day of the week her birthday was on. 1975? April 6 of that year fell on a Sunday, Henner instantly recalls. (In case you're wondering, it's also the day she turned 23.) Point out a pair of shoes in her closet, and she can recollect the day she purchased them: "These are old — Oct. 18, 2007," the AARP reported.

It's a stupendous skill, and Poppy Montgomery went on to play a Marilu Henner-inspired memory-endowed detective on TV's "Unforgettable." Originally on CBS and now on A&E, the real Henner is a technical consultant on the series and she frequently guest stars as a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's.

Since November 2009, neurobiologist James McGaugh has been studying Henner's memory and others in his research lab at the University of California, Irvine, per the AARP. Discoveries are woven into the series.