Christina Applegate was born on November 25, 1971, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Nancy Priddy, an actress and singer, and Robert Applegate, a record producer and record company executive. Her parents divorced shortly after her birth. She was raised primarily by her mother. Applegate began her career at a young age, appearing in television commercials and making her acting debut in 1979.
Applegate’s early roles included appearances in shows like “Quincy, M.E.” and “Charles in Charge.” Her breakthrough came in 1987 when she was cast as Kelly Bundy in the Fox sitcom “Married… with Children.” The show ran for eleven seasons, concluding in 1997, and established Applegate as a prominent television actress.
Following “Married… with Children,” Applegate continued to work extensively in television. She starred in the sitcom “Jesse” (1998-2000), for which she received a People’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe nomination. She also had recurring roles in series such as “Friends” and “Up All Night.” In 2019, she starred in the Netflix dark comedy series “Dead to Me,” for which she received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Applegate has also had a successful film career, appearing in a variety of genres. Some of her notable film credits include:
Applegate made her Broadway debut in 2005 as Charity Hope Valentine