Christina Applegate has opened up about her devastating MS diagnosis, and her arduous battle to leave no chapter in her career unfinished.
The Emmy-winning actor, best known for her roles in Friends, Married… with Children and Anchorman, received a soul-crushing diagnosis in 2021.
Applegate was told she had multiple sclerosis, or MS, an autoimmune condition that disrupts communication between the brain and the body.
The news came just as she was about to start filming the third season of her Netflix series, Dead to Me.
Though heartbreaking, the diagnosis wasn’t a complete surprise for Applegate.
Speaking to The New York Times, Applegate said she wishes she paid more attention to changes in her body in the early days – specifically her loss of balance.
“I wish I had paid attention,” said Applegate. “But who was I to know?”
But even so, Applegate, 50, was undeterred. She and the Dead to Me cast and crew took a five-month break while she sought treatment
“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better’,” Applegate said.
“And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”
Unstoppable
With the support of cast and crew, Applegate was quick to get back to work.
By night, Applegate may be a homebody, suffering with her illness, and admittedly engrossed in reality TV.
But by day, Applegate was remarkably able to transform into her character Jen, a hard-ass real estate agent grieving the loss of her husband after a hit-and-run incident.
She stars with Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks, Robot Chicken, Scooby-Doo), who plays Judy – a fellow mourner who bonds with Applegate’s character during therapy.
The two become unlikely friends – and embark on a journey to solve the crime that killed Jen’s husband.
It took some creative behind-the-scenes work to capture each scene, with standing still a massive challenge for Applegate.
She recalls being propped up by a sound technician, holding up her legs during scenes.
And when she wasn’t on camera, Applegate was being carted around the set in a wheelchair.
The script even had to change to adapt to Applegate’s capabilities.
Her character, Jen, had to be the first to open doors so she could lean against them for support.
In other scenes, Applegate clutches a chair out of shot, in hopes of steadying her balance.
But no matter the challenges presented by her illness, Applegate didn’t want to disappoint Cardellini or series creator Liz Feldman.
She wouldn’t pull the plug early, or film a condensed final season. She would finish Dead to Me on her own terms.
“I had an obligation to Liz and to Linda, to our story,” Applegate said.
“The powers that be were like, ‘Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together.’ I said, ‘No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms’.”
‘I’m p—ed’
Applegate admits she’s still coming to terms with her diagnosis – and in all honesty, she may never.
Although MS is treatable, there is no cure for the disease – and its cause remains unknown.
Applegate is aware there’s no getting “better” from the disease, making it all the more difficult to accept.
“Acceptance? No. I’m never going to accept this. I’m p—ed.”
The actor made headlines last week after revealing a part of her “new normal” – walking canes.
Applegate shared a picture of five glitzy walking canes on Twitter, revealing she had them made for an upcoming event.
“I have a very important ceremony coming up. This will be my first time out since diagnosed with MS. Walking sticks are now part of my new normal,” she said.
Tweet from @1capplegate
But despite her daily struggle, Applegate hasn’t lost the cheeky humour that made her the heart and soul of Anchorman and Married… with Children.
“My [everyday cane] has stickers that say FUMS [f— you MS] so wasn’t sure if that was appropriate haha,” she wrote in her replies.
Now, Applegate is bracing for the reaction to the final season of Dead to Me, which arrives on Netflix on November 17.
Applegate’s diagnosis has dramatically changed her appearance, with the actor gaining 18 kilograms, and now unable to move around without a cane.
This is all beyond her control, but she hopes the audience will be able to see beyond her illness.
“If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, ‘Ooh, look at the cripple’, that’s not up to me,” Applegate said. “I’m sure that people are going to be, like, ‘I can’t get past it’.'”
“Fine, don’t get past it, then. But hopefully people can get past it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls.”
