Experiencing difficulty on set during the production of Dead To me convinced star Christina Applegate that she probably needs to rethink her career. The star, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year, says she is planning on getting work as a producer to make a living — and focusing her acting energies on voiceover jobs that can help her make ends meet without forcing her to show up to set and hang around for 12 hours under hot lights. This is hardly uncommon, of course; Michael J. Fox took on voiceover and animation work on projects like Stuart Little after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
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Applegate’s diagnosis over the summer was met with an overwhelming wave of support from fans, critics, and her co-stars on Dead To Me. After filming paused, her fellow cast members and the show’s crew did everything they could to accommodate her physical limitations, so that she could complete her acclaimed work on the series in spite of the circumstances.
“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,” Applegate told the Los Angeles Times, adding that she plans on pivoting to producing, as well as “doing a shit ton of voiceovers to make some cash to make sure that my daughter’s fed and we’re homed.”
The MS diagnosis is the latest in a long line of life-changing health crises to plague the beloved actress. Applegate had a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008, and then had to undergo a double mastectomy. Later, doctors discovered that she had the BRCA gene mutation that causes a heightened risk of cancer, which means Applegate had to have further surgeries in 2017. This likely meant an early diagnosis for MS, since any new symptoms would have been huge cause for concern.
“Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition,” she wrote at the time. “It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it. As one of my friends that has MS said ‘we wake up and take the indicated action’. And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you.”
