Christina Applegate says she missed an early symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) when she fell on the set of her Netflix series Dead to Me.
“I remember falling that day,” Applegate, 53, told co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 43, and guest Liz Feldman, 47, the creator of Dead to Me, on the latest edition of her MeSsy podcast Wednesday.
The Hollywood, California, native said she fell while filming a running scene in a field in the latest edition of the podcast, titled Putting Life on Paper.
Applegate said of her fall: ‘Hello, first sign of MS! So not to put anyone down, but it was true.”
The Emmy-winning actress — who publicly announced she was battling MS in August 2021 — and The Sopranos alum Sigler, who publicly revealed her MS battle in January 2016, have spoken about their respective health struggles on the podcast.
Feldman noted that she had seen Applegate, who starred in the series during its three seasons from 2019-2022, experience physical symptoms but attributed it to long hours on set.
Christina Applegate, 53, says she missed an early symptom of multiple sclerosis when she fell on the set of her Netflix series Dead to Me. Pictured in April in LA
Applegate played the role of Jen Harding on the series during its three seasons from 2019-2022
“I remember you losing your balance when we shot the pilot a few times,” Feldman said. ‘It was very hard to find out because I remember one time it was very late at night.
“We had been shooting for probably 14 to 15 hours… it seemed completely reasonable that someone would collapse.”
Applegate — who continued working on the show’s third season after she was diagnosed — said that “it was MS.”
Feldman said she was empathetic as she watched Applegate — also known for Married… with Children and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead — continue production amid her health crisis.
“I just felt A, that she was scared, and B, that something was wrong… that something in her body wasn’t working the way she wanted,” Feldman said. ‘There is no manual for this.
“I can’t compare it to any experience I’ve ever had with anyone.”
Feldman said she “just always tried to put up.” [Applegate’s] health is at the forefront of my mind” when the cameras rolled during the show’s third season, with the actress at times telling her that her well-being was a priority over “just a TV show.”
Feldman said she told Applegate, “At the end of the day, maybe it will reach people and help people and entertain people, but this is your life.”
James Marsden, Liz Feldman and Applegate were pictured at a promotional party for Dead To Me in May 2019 in Santa Monica, California
Applegate and her co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 43, speak about their respective MS battles on their MeSsy podcast
Applegate said Feldman and the Netflix show’s crew went out of their way to accommodate her during her MS battle, stopping filming for a week to let her recover.
“That wouldn’t happen anywhere else, so my gratitude to you as people – for having to be people and loving other people – is amazing,” Applegate said. “I can’t even tell you… that’s not the normal reaction.”
The series also starred Linda Cardellini, James Marsden, Sam McCarthy, Luke Roessler, Max Jenkins, Diana Maria Riva and Brandon Scott.
Applegate and Cardellini played the respective roles of Jen Harding and Judy Hale in the dark comedy, as a pair of women in grief who grow closer during therapy.
The show was nominated six times for Primetime Emmys, with Applegate being recognized twice for her work in the lead role.
Applegate told Kelly Clarkson in a December 2022 interview that the show gave her “this weird platform for dealing” with the life-altering diagnosis.
“The great thing about Dead to Me is that…I didn’t have to be on the phone all the time and make all the jokes and I could fall apart in a scene,” Applegate said. “And that was me, just like me. Unfortunately, my soul shattered in front of the world, but it was beautifully cathartic.”