She has long been a favourite actress of mine and I absolutely love her opposite Linda Cardellini in Netflix’s Dead to Me, but it’s her off-screen MS diagnosis that has captured my attention of late.
MS in Hollywood
The star publicly revealed her MS diagnosis in 2021 and has lived a life away from the spotlight since. She made a rare appearance in November 2022 to accept a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This year, she appeared onstage during the 75th Emmy Awards on 15 January to present the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. She was escorted on stage by the evening’s host and looked the epitome of elegance in a beautiful burgundy coloured gown. She accessorised her elegant look with one of her self-confessed “fancy cane options”, which she had previously shared with her legions of fans on social media.
Christina declared in an earlier post on X (previously Twitter): “This will be my first time out since [being] diagnosed with MS. Walking sticks are now part of my new normal.”
The star received a standing ovation from audience members as she walked to the podium and appeared visibly moved by the gesture from the crowd. She then quipped: “Oh my God. You’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up… you don’t need to clap at everything that I do”.
Watch Christina Applegate's Inspirational Speech
The importance of humour
The jokes were a reminder that Christina Applegate has made a career out of being funny. But for those of us living with a chronic illness, it was a reminder about the importance of humour in our lives.
Applegate conveyed this with such a self-deprecating, dry sense of humour. It’s as dry as kindling that erupts into flames at the hint of a spark. There is nothing more Irish than that sense of humour. It can be summed up by: “Ah sure look if you didn’t laugh about it, you’d only cry about it.” It’s a dark sense of humour wrought from places of hardship. It’s so quintessentially Irish, in fact, that it’s only surpassed by the Celtic Tiger, Catholic Guilt and a constant fear of leaving the immersion on. So it’s no surprise then that it turns out, Applegate, like a lot of Americans, claims Irish ancestry.
Don’t think for a moment that Applegate’s comments were flippant though. She used that platform to highlight what life is like for people living with MS. In a place where celebrities chase perfection, she let her true self shine. Living with MS is hard, but she stood up there and used her wonderful sense of humour to highlight her disability. She reminded a global audience that we can still have a laugh and use it to get through our toughest days. She used the stage to showcase who she is and always will be, irrespective of her MS.
I’m proud to call Christina Applegate a member of our Irish diaspora. This awards season, Ayo Edebiri has shouted about Ireland in her acceptance speeches and interviews. There have even been articles by fellow Dubliners calling for her to be awarded the freedom of the city. However, in my mind, it’s Christina Applegate for Taoiseach.
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