Jamie-Lynn Sigler Discusses Playing a Doctor With MS on 'Grey's Anatomy'

Jamie-Lynn Sigler is opening up about her new guest role on "Grey’s Anatomy" ... playing a doctor living with MS ... a storyline that hits close to home given her own 25-year battle with the disease.

Speaking on 'GMA' Friday, Jamie-Lynn got choked up, admitting she once felt forced to keep her diagnosis secret out of fear she’d never work again. Now, she says, she’s in a place where her real-life experience actually inspired the part of Dr. Kaplan and her storyline -- something her younger self would’ve never believed.

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Jamie-Lynn added that being able to say the words on screen -- that she has MS -- and truly own them is something she never imagined would be possible in a role specifically created for her.

She also revealed she had some input on the show, noting the only ask she made was that the character live with MS authentically ... and says the writers went above and beyond her wildest dreams to accommodate it.

For her, the hope is simple -- that seeing MS portrayed authentically on screen can help inspire the millions of people living with the disease.