In the summer of 2021, Christina Applegate received the earth-shattering news that she'd been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis — a neurological disease that affects vision, speech, and motor function.
During recent interviews with Variety and the New York Times, Applegate revealed that the disease is progressing at an alarming rate. She also admitted that a crewmember had to hold her legs while filming Season 3 of Dead to Me just to keep her from falling down.
The former Married... With Children star was forced to take five months off work, and there was even discussion on whether or not the show would continue at all, with Applegate's health being what it was. "I said, 'No. We're going to do it, but we're going to do it on my terms,'" she explained in an interview with the New York Times.
Standing for prolonged periods of time proved infinitely more difficult for Christina than ever before. So to keep from falling, a crew member (usually Mitch Cohn of the sound department) would have to secure her legs while she filmed. Christina compared her movements to that of an unsteady dancer — performing a kind of strange ballet to keep from falling down.
The Emmy-winning actress recalled that the blocking of certain scenes had to be revamped and changed entirely. On certain days, Christina had a hard time walking from one end of the room to the other. So instead of forcing her character, Jen, to do so, showrunners would re-write the scene from the perspective of her sitting on a chair or lying down on the couch.
Applegate would often turn to humor on set to help put her mind at ease but acknowledged just how difficult it was to stay positive. "With my disease, I don't know how capable I am," Christina told the Times. As sad as it is to say, there's a very real possibility that Jen Harding will be the last character Christina ever plays.
