The second season of “Dead to Me” ended in 2020 with major cliff hangers. Fans have waited patiently for two two years for the series’ final season.
That final season is coming to Netflix November 17, but getting there wasn’t easy for star Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Applegate revealed her diagnosis in 2021. Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information within the brain as well as between the brain and body.
“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better,’” Applegate told the New York Times. “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.”
The “Married with Children” actress opened up about her battle with the disease, which forced her to drop everything — including filming — to focus on her health.
“I had an obligation to finish telling the 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 with previously recorded footage. I said, ‘No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms,” Applegate explained.
The “Anchorman” actress first spoke publicly after pictures surfaced showing her 40 pound weight gain and use of a cane. While the production continued, Applegate needed a wheelchair to get to and from set and had to use a cane for support.
“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,” said Applegate.
She admitted that there were signs before her official diagnosis — like feeling off balance while shooting a dance scene and her tennis game all of a sudden falling flat — but Applegate chalked them up to being overly self-critical, making herself work even harder.
The mother of one has faced health issues before. The Emmy-nominated actress had a lumpectomy after discovering that she had the BRAC1 genetic mutation, a gene typically associated with increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.
“This is the first time anyone’s going to see me the way I am. 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.”
“Dead to Me” season three is set to air on Netflix November 17.
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