Update: Since this interview took place, Robert Altman has passed away. Look back on his experience with heart transplantation.

He's known for his storytelling abilities: films like M*A*S*H*, Short Cuts and the upcoming Prairie Home Companion are proof of that. But now Robert Altman is telling a brand-new tale, one that's much more personal.

In 1995, the then-70-year-old director was told he needed a heart transplant, after doctors discovered his heart had weakened to an alarming degree and his time was running out. When faced with the news Altman recalled, "It wasn't even a hard decision. I said 'Yeah, let's do it.'" The bigger challenge lay ahead—even though he was one of the most respected directors in Hollywood, Altman felt he had to keep the surgery a secret. "I kept it quiet for many years because I was afraid I wouldn't get a job. I was afraid they'd say, 'Don't hire him—he's going to croak at any minute!'" And it wasn't only Hollywood producers who were kept in the dark—Altman's friends and family were as well. "I did a lot of lying. I just lied to very close friends of mine … They'd say, 'I heard that you had a heart transplant,' and I'd tell them, 'Are you kidding? I was down at so-and-so's having a drink. Now does that make sense?'"

It wasn't until 11 years later that Altman finally felt comfortable going public with the news. And go public he did—at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. While accepting his Lifetime Achievement Oscar, Altman announced, "I'm here under false pretenses … Eleven years ago I had a heart transplant, a total heart transplant. I got the heart of, I think, a young woman who was in about in her late thirties. By that kind of calculation you may be giving this award too early because I think I've got about 40 years left."

What made Altman finally feel comfortable enough to talk about his transplant? "I felt that after several years—and working every one of those years—I thought 'I guess I've got by that stigma.'"

Today, Robert Altman looks forward to many more years as a director. As he puts it, "The more time I have, the more fun it is." And now that he can speak honestly about his experiences, he has advice for those who are facing a heart transplant: "My advice is never take advice from anybody. Your doctors know what they're doing—I mean, they really know what they're doing. While you're in their hands, you just have to say, 'I'll do my part as much as you can. You do your part.'"