Multiple Sclerosis warrior Christina Applegate was recently honored with a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her lead role in Netflix’s acclaimed series “Dead To Me.”
The final season of the dark comedy marked the first time fans could see the beloved actress on screen since her MS diagnosis in 2021.
Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic. Most people with MS go through periods of new symptoms or relapses followed by quiet periods of disease remission.
SurvivorNetTV has added a new block of programming specific to Multiple Sclerosis in order to support people living with this chronic condition. We hope it can be a source of inspiration.
Christina Applegate, 51, has inspired many with her resilience. And her determination to work even after a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis has earned her a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The 51-year-old actress was recently honored with a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her lead role in Netflix’s acclaimed series “Dead To Me” the final season of which marked the first time fans could see the beloved actress and breast cancer survivor on screen since her MS diagnosis in 2021.
Thank you @SAGawards for this nomination today! I have been a proud member of this union since 1975. I've had an incredibly hard year, and today this made me smile. Much love to my peers and to my sweet Jean Smart and the other incredible ladies I walk beside.
christina applegate (@1capplegate) January 11, 2023 “Thank you @SAGawards for this nomination today!” Applegate wrote in a recent Tweet. “I have been a proud member of this union since 1975.
“I've had an incredibly hard year, and today this made me smile. Much love to my peers and to my sweet Jean Smart and the other incredible ladies I walk beside.”
Christina Applegate's MS Journey
Christina Applegate began experiencing symptoms of the condition long before she had answers. In fact, she said she felt off balance during a dance sequence that occurred way back in season one of the dark comedy. She later noticed her aptitude for tennis start to fail.
Applegate playing Jen Harding in the Netflix series “Dead to Me”
It took several years of worsening tingling and numbness in her extremities before her diagnosis arrived while on set. This life-altering realization wouldn't stop Applegate from finishing her portrayal of Jen Harding, but she did need a break. Production of the final season ceased for about five months as she began treatment.
"There was the sense of, 'Well, let's get her some medicine so she can get better,'" Applegate said. "And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time."
Applegate admits she'll never fully "accept" her condition, but she did learn how to work with it.
"I had an obligation to Liz [Feldman] and to Linda [Cardellini], to our story," she said of the show's writer and co-star respectively. "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.'"
Christina Applegate is pictured with her Hollywood star (Getty Images)
Applegate wasn't able to work as hard or as long or in heat without her body giving out, but she found pride in her self-sufficiency. And with the help of some adjustments in blocking, she powered through. Nicole Vassell, a writer for the The Independent, says other programs should learn from the way Applegate's "physical changes [were] seamlessly incorporated into the show."
"This is the first time anyone's going to see me the way I am," Applegate said. "I put on 40 pounds; I can't walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that."
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic.
It causes the immune system to attack the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers which leads to communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, MS can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves.
Signs and symptoms of MS can vary widely but may include:
Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk
Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait
Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
Prolonged double vision
Blurry vision
Slurred speech
Fatigue
Dizziness
Tingling or pain in parts of your body
Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function
Most people with MS go through periods of new symptoms or relapses followed by quiet periods of disease remission. These relapses can develop over days or weeks and the remission periods can last for months or even years.
SurvivorNetTV's film Defying All Odds, for example, follows the story of Dr. Terry Wahls a world-renowned doctor and scientist determined to continue practicing medicine even after being diagnosed with a severe form of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Another film, Don't Stop Me Now, takes a look at MS warrior Louise Carr's inspiring battle against the disease that causes her daily pain, fatigue, memory loss and restricted movement.
"I might have MS, but it doesn't have me," she tells SurvivorNet.