By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | January 16, 2024 |
By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | January 16, 2024 |
Christina Applegate made a surprise appearance as a presenter at last night’s Emmys. Though she was nominated for Actress in a Comedy Series for Dead to Me, she wasn’t expected to show due to her battle with MS. 52-year-old Christina went public with her diagnosis in 2021 and has spoken out about her mobility issues and chronic pain. Last February, she went to the SAG Awards and said that it would likely be her last awards show as an actress.
But, last night, Christina made it to the Emmys. She walked onstage using a cane and with the assistance of host Anthony Anderson. When the audience gave her a standing ovation, she became emotional, thanked them for their support, and joked that they were “shaming” her disability by standing up.
Then Christina motioned to her gorgeous burgundy velvet gown, and said, “Body not by Ozempic.” She was referring to her recent weight gain, which she credits to inactivity and medication. Christina continued:
Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from Married with Children. [the audience cheers] Thank you. We don’t have to applaud every time I do something. Or Samantha from Samantha Who. Or probably maybe my last job, Jen Harding from Dead to Me. Thank you.But very few of probably know me from that debut… I’m gonna cry more than I’ve been crying… Baby Burt Grizzell from Days of our Lives. It was really a breakout role.
At that point, a picture of little soap opera baby Christina flashed on the screen. Christina said that it’s been “an honor” to play “funny, flawed, complex characters” just like the women nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Ah, she tied it all together. After Christina read out the nominees, she presented the Emmy to Ayo Edebiri for her work in The Bear.
Here’s a clip of Christina getting a standing ovation:
Emmy Winner Christina Applegate remains one of the funniest actors of all time ❤️ #Emmys pic.twitter.com/onaQGjXh4u
— Queens of Bravo (@queensofbravo) January 16, 2024
Later on in the show, Christina lost her category to Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary. But who cares? She seemed happy and proud to be there. Here’s a better look at her Emmy ensemble by the great Christian Siriano:
Last year, Christina told the LA Times she couldn’t “imagine” going back to work as an actress: “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.” She also talked about her struggles to finish shooting the third and final season of Dead to Me:
I was a wreck every day, but most of that wreck would take place in my trailer by myself. But there were times I’d break down on set and be like, “I can’t, we have to take a break, I need a half-hour,” and everyone was so loving that it was OK.
Christina said that she might pivot to development, producing, or voiceover work. In the meantime, she’s really into staying in bed all day and bingeing reality shows she’s never seen. Which… same, Christina. Same.