As the third and final season of Netflix's Dead to Me approaches, Christina Applegate is opening up about her experience filming the series' conclusion following her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. The dark comedy follows Jen (Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), two women who meet at a grief support group meeting following the untimely death of Jen's husband. The two women form an unlikely friendship, but an exposed secret threatens the sanctity of their friendship.
The series, created by Liz Feldman, premiered on the streamer in 2019, with the second season airing in 2020. In 2021, Applegate was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that impacts the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, sometimes affecting coordination and mobility and causing fatigue. Production for the series then shut down for an additional five months. But regardless of the diagnosis and the changes the illness would bring to her life, Applegate wanted to make sure that Dead to Me continued on the way it was supposed to. She told The New York Times:
"I had an obligation to Liz and to Linda, to our story. The powers that be were like, 'Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together.' I said, 'No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms.'"
The Disorder's Impact on Christina Applegate
The actress told the publication that she wished she would have paid attention to early signs that something was not right, like finding herself off balance, but she had no idea what was to come:
"There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better. And there is no better."
Applegate, who sometimes struggled walking or standing up while filming, likely will not be watching when Dead to Me premieres on November 17. All those difficulties have led to her lack of desire to watch the final season. About the upcoming season, she says:
"If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, 'Ooh, look at the cripple,' that’s not up to me. I’m sure that people are going to be, like, 'I can’t get past it.' Fine, don’t get past it, then. But hopefully people can get past it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls."
Applegate's portrayal of Jen in the series has earned her two Emmy nominations. Besides accolades, Applegate is walking away from the series with a close bond to cast mate Cardellini. Speaking fondly of her co-star, Applegate called Cardellini her "champion," "warrior," and "voice."
Applegate's on-camera career spans back to childhood, appearing in commercials and television. She rose to popularity as Kelly Bundy on Fox's Married... With Children before appearing on other series, including Jesse, Friends, Samantha Who? and in films like The Big Hit, The Sweetest Thing, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and Bad Moms. Applegate is scheduled to appear next in the television film Your Time Is Up.