A decade ago, Tessa James got a shock diagnosis. Then she made a promise to herself.

Australians grew up watching Tessa James on their televisions.

Getting her start on Neighbours in 2006, the actress would go on to become the beloved character of Nicole Franklin on another long-running soap: Home and Away.

Between these roles and stints on Australian TV shows and films like Beaconsfield, Love Child, and Spin Out, James became one of Australia's most promising rising talents.

But then just as the young actress' acting career was taking off, she was struck by a shocking diagnosis at the age of 23.

She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2014 after she discovered a lump above her collarbone while she was in Los Angeles for an acting opportunity.

Tessa James at the Logies in 2010. Image: Getty.

"My life stopped, to be honest," Tess reflected to Mamamia in an exclusive chat.

"I think for any 23-year-old, their life is moving pretty quickly: you're working a lot of things out, you're trying new things, you're just busy, making the most of your life. And my life just stopped.

From here, James decided to step away from her acting career, a decision she didn't make lightly.

"For myself, the shift really was like, 'Am I going to be able to do that? Am I going to be able to get back into it?'

At the time, James sought comfort in other people going through a similar journey, such as Delta Goodrem, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2002 when she was just 18.

"For myself, what really helped me was looking at others who had faced adversity like that and seeing them come out the other side and how they dealt with it and what they did with their life, moving forward," she said.

"The first person would be Delta Goodrem, who was in a similar vein to me [in her diagnosis]. She's such a lovely person, and extremely successful."

Watch Delta Goodrem show us what's inside her makeup bag. Post continues after video.

After undergoing six months of chemotherapy, James was cleared of cancer in 2015. She found out she was totally cancer-free in 2020 after getting through her five-year clearance period.

James' perspective on this time in her life is refreshingly honest.

"I wouldn't say I'm a different person now. I've definitely evolved and I've changed, and I've grown as a person just through living life, experiences and all the things. But that is life," she said.

The Australian doesn't connect to some of the toxic positivity that the cancer community can often platform.

"I felt this pressure to be living my best life and have all these things happen and be grateful for everything and be happy for every moment of every day — there was a lot of pressure within that," she recalled.

"Am I not able to be sad about something silly because I've had something so awful happen to me?"

But she did learn one lesson throughout her cancer journey.

"As silly as it sounds, it's really don't sweat the small stuff. I made a promise to myself that anything that I could fix or that I could do something about or make a shift if I didn't feel right, I would just do that. It wasn't a big deal."

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After her acting career, James transitioned into the world of interior design. She is the Director and Head of Communications at AKI Design, a boutique interior design studio she runs alongside her mother and sister.

"If you ask any actress, the reality of being busy and working all the time is not the truth for most people. It was really out of wanting to fulfil another part of my life — not as a plan B — but just as something that kept me interested.

"While I was having my children, I really felt this kind of heavy shift in what I was able to give to my career. I wasn't able to give a lot because I personally wanted to give a lot to my children and that's just kind of where my life sat at that time.

"I tried a few things. I started a wellness business and I really found a lot out about myself in that situation. I designed all of it, and I really enjoyed that part. I think that kind of gave me a little bit of confidence to switch and start studying interior design.

"My mum and my sister are interior architects, and it was divine timing that we all came together."

As far as jumping back into her acting career, James hasn't ruled it out.

"I guess you never say never. The world really is so different now. There are so many platforms that you can go on," she said.

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"Life comes in seasons and I'm just maybe not in that season at this time."

James has been married to former NRL footballer Nate Myles since 2011. Tessa often credits Nate for his support, especially during her most challenging times. Together, Tessa and Nate have four children, with the couple deciding to start a family after Tessa was diagnosed with cancer.

"It's completely shaped me as a person, especially being so young, when something like that happens to you," she said.

"That was a choice that we made because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to have kids if I waited. Any couple or any family going through a traumatic time, it puts things in perspective."

Looking back at when she was first diagnosed, Tessa has a message she would like to have told her younger self.

"Something for me, I was just really impatient, and I just wanted to get it done. I'm not by any means saying like, enjoy it, but I just think that time does pass and being in that slower lane, it's okay.

"If you can just sit in something and just let things happen, it just takes that pressure off."

This year, as an ambassador for Witchery's White Shirt Campaign, Tessa was featured as part of the campaign which raises funds and awareness for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

"It's starting that conversation and planting that thing in someone's head," she said about working on the initiative.

"It might help somebody go to the doctor quicker, and it's giving money to research. If we can keep making noise around these topics, it makes people feel less alone, and it hopefully will save lives in multiple ways."Feature image: Instagram/@tessachris/Getty.