An Oscar-winning actress who currently stars in a network drama series appeared on Anderson Cooper’s talk show and revealed that she went through a battle with ovarian cancer and kept it secret from the public, reports People magazine.

Kathy Bates, the star of NBC’s "Harry’s Law," discussed her medical situation on the episode of "Anderson" that airs this Thursday. She said that for both insurance reasons and personal reasons, she chose not to tell the media about her diagnosis and treatment at the time.

Bates said: "Nobody else really knows what you’re going through except another cancer patient. Even though your family’s supportive and surrounds you, I just got to the point where I would go to chemo by myself and just really go through it on my own."

Even though her decision was to keep it private, Bates said of other cancer patients, "I admire people who have been open, like Melissa Etheridge and women I see walking around facing it without wigs and all of that stuff. I think I’d be more courageous next time."

Bates won an Oscar in 1991 for “Misery,” and has two other Academy Award nominations — for “Primary Colors” in 1999 and “About Schmidt” in 2003. She has nine Emmy nominations, but has yet to win an Emmy.