Amid her continued struggles with multiple sclerosis, of which she had been diagnosed during the third and final season of Dead to Me, Christina Applegate has accepted that she’ll likely never work again on-screen. While that’s been a bit hard to take in for the former child star, who rose to fame on the classic sitcom Married… with Children, it’s made better knowing she was able to end that part of her career alongside someone she greatly respects and adores. Of course, that would be Linda Cardellini, her Dead to Me co-star with whom she shares many fond memories from working on the hit Netflix show.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Applegate opened up on her life with MS. She reflected on her working relationship with Cardellini, and while it has her realizing she’ll probably never again portray another on-camera character, Applegate is just happy that her final role was alongside Cardellini, who seems to be her favorite person in the world. From the interview:
“Linda and I, from day one, were in love with each other and trusted each other and supported each other. It’s rare that you have an equal playing field and you get to play ping-pong instead of tennis. There’s a difference. Ping-pong is so much more fun when the other person is just as good as you are. I’m probably not going to work on-camera again, but I’m so glad that I went out with someone who is by far the greatest actress I’ve ever worked with in my entire life, if not the greatest human I’ve ever known.”
Right now, Applegate can’t say for sure what the future will hold, even if on-camera work is likely out of the question. She is keeping the door open to doing voiceover roles, though that will also depend on whether she physically gets worse as time goes on. That includes a planned animated reboot of Married… with Children, which Applegate says she’s still “waiting” to hear more about.
“I can’t even imagine going to set right now. This is a progressive disease. I don’t know if I’m going to get worse. I can do voiceover stuff because I have to support my family and keep my brain working.”
Christina Applegate Could Be Nominated for Another Emmy
The final season of Dead to Me is technically eligible to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards this year, so it’s possible that Applegate could get another nomination for what may be her final on-screen performance. She was nominated for her work on the show on two prior occasions. Perhaps the final season will be one that will earn Applegate her first Emmy win. Should she be nominated, Applegate also told Vanity Fair how she’d have designer Christian Siriano make her a special walking stick, though she also refers to another custom-made one she has coming soon that states exactly what she thinks about multiple sclerosis.
“I’ll get my [Christian] Siriano to make me something because he’s so good with women with curves. I’ll have my Neo-Walk stick. Well, I have a custom one coming out that’s going to have my name on it and it’ll say ‘F**k you MS.’ It’s going to look kind of groovy and cool and it’ll probably light up and the proceeds are going to go to MS charities… But, yeah, of course I’d be honored to be there [at the Emmys] and if I’m not, cool.”
You can stream Dead to Me on Netflix.
