Christina Applegate Discusses the Future of Her Acting Career During Rare Public Outing

Christina Applegate was the guest of honor at Variety TV Fest in Los Angeles on June 7. The actor accepted the TV legacy award at the event, which marked one of her few public appearances since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021. Jean Smart, who portrayed Applegate's onscreen mother in the ABC sitcom "Samantha Who?," presented her with the accolade in front of a crowd that also included stars like Niecy Nash, Elle Fanning, and Kerry Washington. Applegate then delivered an emotional speech addressing the future of her four-decade Hollywood career.

After briefly reflecting on acting alongside Smart, Applegate acknowledged how MS will affect her ability to get in front of the camera again. Holding back tears, she said, "I hate it so much, but thank you so much for being supportive and understanding as I journey through this new part of my life not knowing if I'm going to continue on to act anymore. I don't know if I can. I'd love to, I do miss it, I miss it so much. I just don't know." She added that it's "a daily struggle to walk and move" and expressed gratitude that her final bow was "Dead to Me," the twisty-turny Netflix series she starred in alongside close friend Linda Cardellini.

Of course, Applegate's ceaseless sense of humor was on display as she sprinkled in jokes throughout her speech. "I don't want to talk too much because it looks like your sandwiches are getting really gross on your tables, and I want them to come clear your plates," she said. The Emmy winner concluded by quoting Judy Hale from "Dead to Me," telling the audience, "I've had a lot of fun. Thank you."

Since announcing her MS diagnosis two years ago, Applegate has been open about living with the chronic autoimmune condition, which disrupts communication between the body and brain and causes symptoms like vision loss, pain, fatigue, and impaired mobility. In an interview with Vanity Fair last month, the 51-year-old star shared, "There are just certain things that people take for granted in their lives that I took for granted. Going down the stairs, carrying things — you can't do that anymore. It f*cking sucks." She also discussed her unlikely return to acting at the time, stating, "I'm probably not going to work on-camera again."

Despite the day-to-day difficulties of living with MS, Applegate has been remained resilient, stepping out on several different occasions in the past year. Last November, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and attended the event with a manicure that read "FU MS." Two months later, she and daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble attended the 2023 Critics' Choice Awards together, followed by the SAG Awards in February.

Keep reading to see all the photos of Applegate posing with Smart on the red carpet and accepting her well-deserved award at Variety TV Fest.