Christina Applegate says ‘Dead to Me’ could 'possibly' be her last acting gig due to multiple sclerosis
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Due to her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis, Emmy-winning actress Christina Applegate admitted that her starring role in 'Dead to Me' could be her last acting gig. The 50-year-old 'Friends' alum told Variety this week that it could be the last role she ever plays as Jen Harding.
The third and final season of the Netflix comedy 'Dead to Me' will premiere this week. She calls her role in the series "a blessing." She admitted that the role of Jen Harding in the series could be her last. She said that it was "quite possibly the last one I'll play. With my disease, I don't know how capable I am."
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"It had to be cold because heat is our kryptonite," she shared about her condition and limitations, "Can't work those 18-hour days, you know? It was impossible." She also paid tribute to Blaise Feldman and the rest of the crew who showed their support and were "so loving." Netflix also has been supportive of her case. The crew said that they would even change filming schedules, "So Netflix will let us take a two-month break so I can mourn and find a cure."
She recalled the unusual symptoms she’d experienced prior to her diagnosis. "I didn’t know what was happening to me. That January, my toes got numb, and I ignored it. The balls of my foot got numb, and I ignored it. All of a sudden, I’d be, like, falling over. People were like, 'Oh, it’s just neuropathy.' At this point, they had to take me with a wheelchair to set because I couldn’t walk if the set was far. I was sleeping all the time, and I gained 40 pounds — a lot of things happened," she said. She said that she has to use a cane to help her walk, "I can’t walk without a cane, I want people to know that I am fully aware of all of that."
However, there are still plenty of options in Hollywood, including producing, writing, and many other things that can be done while battling the disease, so the end of her acting career maybe not be the end of her professional career. "I want to develop things, I like to produce things, I have a lot of ideas in my mind, and I just need to implement them." She added that she experiences a variety of emotions, including anger, "I'm never going to accept this. I'm pissed."
