Amid her battle with multiple sclerosis, Christina Applegate is getting candid about the future of her career.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, the actress revealed she’s not taking on any acting projects — at least for now — and shared that the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards will “probably” be the last time attending an awards show as an actor.
Applegate — who revealed her MS diagnosis in 2021 — is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her performance in the third and final season of “Dead to Me.” Throughout her career, the “Bad Moms” star has received six SAG Awards nominations, with three of the nods being for her role as Jen Harding on “Dead to Me.”
‘”It’s my last awards show as an actor probably, so it’s kind of a big deal,” Applegate, 51, told the LA Times, before adding, “Right now, I couldn’t imagine getting up at 5 a.m. and spending 12 to 14 hours on a set; I don’t have that in me at this moment.”
The “Married … with Children” star went on to discuss what’s next for her, noting that she’s interested in working behind the camera, including producing and developing, in addition to voice work.
Applegate — who shares 12-year-old daughter Sadie with husband Martyn LeNoble — said she plans on “doing a s— ton of voice-overs to make some cash to make sure that my daughter’s fed and we’re homed.”
In August 2021, “The Sweetest Thing” star revealed she had been diagnosed with MS and has been very open about her experience with the disease in interviews leading up to the release of the third season of “Dead to Me,” which hit Netflix in November 2022. Applegate received her MS diagnosis during production.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. It can impact the flow of information from the brain to the body — though it manifests differently in different patients — and is incurable.
During her interview with the LA Times, Applegate reflected on her experience working on the final season of “Dead to Me,” praising the cast and crew, including her co-star Linda Cardellini, whom she called “an incredible human.”
While she often struggled due to her illness, the “Vacation” star said everyone on set was there to support her.
“I was a wreck every day, but most of that wreck would take place in my trailer by myself,” Applegate recalled. “But there were times I’d break down on set and be like, ‘I can’t, we have to take a break, I need a half-hour,’ and everyone was so loving that it was OK.'”
Although Season 3 of “Dead of Me” hit Netflix in November, Applegate said she wasn’t able to watch the show until months later.
“I don’t like seeing myself struggling,” she explained. “Also, I gained 40 pounds because of inactivity and medications, and I didn’t look like myself, and I didn’t feel like myself.”
“At some point I was able to distance myself from my own ego, and realize what a beautiful piece of television it was,” she added. “All the scenes I wasn’t in were so much fun to see and experience for the very first time.”
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