Christina Applegate's Biography:
Christina Applegate was born November 25, 1971 in Hollywood, California. Her father, Robert W. Applegate, was a record producer and record company executive, and her mother, Nancy Lee Priddy, was a singer and an actress. Her parents split up shortly after her birth. She has two half-siblings (Alisa and Kyle) from her father's remarriage.
Christina became well-known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox television network sitcom Married… with Children.
Christina has since established a film and television career, with major roles in several pictures, such as Farce of the Penguins, Anchorman, The Sweetest Thing, the Broadway revival of the musical Sweet Charity and is currently playing the lead character, Samantha Newly, in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who?
At the age of three months, Christina made her TV debut, appearing with her mother in the soap Days of Our Lives and later, at age five, in a commercial for Playtex.
Christina landed on the big screen at age nine when she was seen in the 1981 films Jaws of Satan (a.k.a. King Cobra), and Beatlemania.
Christina debuted in a television movie as Young Grace Kelly in the biopic Grace Kelly (1983, opposite Cheryl Ladd) and appeared on her first TV series in Showtime's political comedy Washingtoon (1985), in which she played a Congressman's daughter. She was also spotted as a guest in the shows Father Murphy (1981) and Charles in Charge (1984 and 1985).
In 1986, Christina won the role of Robin Kennedy (1986-1987), a cop's daughter, on the police drama series Heart of the City. Meanwhile, she was also seen guest starring in the sitcoms All is Forgiven, Still the Beaver, Amazing Stories, and Family Ties.
Christina eventually scored her most memorable role of ditzy Kelly Bundy in Fox's comedy series Married... with Children.
She portrayed her character for ten years (1987-1997) in the successful sitcom. While working on the series, Applegate was seen in Dance 'Til Dawn (1988, NBC) and in Streets (1990), in which a teenage drug addict is stalked by a psychotic police officer.
Christina guest-starred in 21 Jump Street (1988), Top of the Heap (1991, as Kelly Bundy), and hosted Saturday Night Live (May 1993) and Mad TV (1996).
The character of Sue Ellen Crandell in the comedy feature Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) was Christina first starring role. She followed it up with films like Vibrations (1995), Across the Moon (1995), Wild Bill (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), and Nowhere (1997).
After the sitcom Married... with Children was canceled in May 1997, Christina starred as Claudine Van Doozen in the independent feature Claudine's Return (a.k.a. Kiss of Fire), was cast in the action-comedy The Big Hit, and played the fiancée of a Mob descendant in the Mafia satire Jane Austen's Mafia (1998).
In that same year, NBC handed her the leading part of "Jesse" in their sitcom with the same title. The series debuted in 1998, received rave reviews, and brought Christina a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV series and the TV Guide Award for Star of a New Series as well as a nomination at the Golden Globe for Lead Actress in a Comedy.
Though the series gained praise, it was canceled in 2000.
"This was a major commitment. I really had to sit and think about it. I eventually came to the conclusion that it came into my life for a reason." - Christina Applegate (on accepting her role in the sitcom Jesse).
The new millennium saw Christina playing the dual role of a 12th-century noblewoman, Princess Rosalind, and her 21st-century descendant, Julia Malfete, in the time-travel comedy Just Visiting (2001).
After gaining wide notice for playing Cameron Diaz's level-headed best friend, Courtney Rockcliffe, in The Sweetest Thing (2002), Christina continued to win roles in such movies as Heroes (2002), the airplane comedy View from the Top (2003), Wonderland (2003), Grand Theft Parsons (2003), Surviving Christmas (2004) and Employee of the Month (2004). Behind the screen, she was the executive producer of Comforters, Miserable (2001).
Christina also guest-starred on two episodes of Friends, in the ninth (2002) and tenth (2003) seasons, titled "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" and "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits" as Amy Green, Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) younger sister.
She won the 55th Annual Prime Time Emmy Award for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy for her performance in "The One with Rachel's Other Sister".
On the silver screen, she portrayed TV anchorwoman Veronica Corningstone in the 2004 films Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and the DVD bonus film Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (an alternative film comprising alternate takes and deleted scenes and story elements).
Adding to her screen work, Christina has performed on stage in such productions as The Axeman's Jazz, Nobody Leaves Empty Handed, The Runthrough, as well as John Cassavetes' The Third Day (co-starring Gena Rowlands).
In 2004, she debuted on the Broadway stage playing the title role of Charity Hope Valentine in a revival of the 1966 musical Sweet Charity. She eventually took home the 2005 Theatre World Award and was nominated for a 2005 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Christina was one of the founding members of the Pussycat Dolls, which debuted at the Viper Room on Sunset Strip, Los Angeles in 1995. Christina emceed for the Dolls when they moved to The Roxy in 2002.
While playing the title role in a revival of Sweet Charity, she broke her foot, and it was announced that the musical would close during previews. She persuaded the producers to rescind their decision, and on April 18, 2005, she made her Broadway debut.
Sweet Charity ended its Broadway run on December 31, 2005. In 2006, she appeared in an advertising campaign for Hanes title "Look who we've got our Hanes on now". The campaign started in 2005 but she, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Kevin Bacon were added to the ads in 2006.
In 2006, Christina appeared in Jessica Simpson's music video "A Public Affair", alongside Eva Longoria, Ryan Seacrest and Christina Milian.
Christina is currently starring in the ABC comedy, Samantha Who?. Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito, and Melissa McCarthy are co-starring. The series is about a 30-year-old who, after a hit-and-run accident, develops amnesia and has to rediscover her life, her relationships and herself.
In October 2001, Christina married longtime boyfriend Johnathon Schaech, in a small mixed-religion Palm Springs ceremony attended by family and close friends.
Christina and Schaech's final divorce papers were entered August 10 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Schaech filed for divorce in November 2005, citing irreconcilable differences.
In 2003 Christina was the spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer education and research.
Christina Applegate was mentioned in the popular song by P.M. Dawn entitled "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". The line, "Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on" is a reference to the song "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest.
Her close friends include Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Eggert, Gwyneth Paltrow, Conan O'Brien, Robin Antin, Tori Spelling, Leah Remini, Eva Longoria, and Lance Bass.
Christina Applegate's fashion style and sense have grown up with her. From the brash and trashy young girl on Married With Children to the fashion plate on Samantha Who, Christina has gone through several transitions.
Christina has made the journey from a rebellious teen to a refined superstar. Since the age of 20 Christina has shown off her signature tattoos on both ankles which consist of a series of vines.
The Samantha Who star told InStyle Magazine in the Spring 2008 the Special Shape issue "I don't follow trends. I like things that are a bit off and a little bit interesting."
Christina shared some personal insights with InStyle she said "I don't like doing my hair so I wear the same cap everyday-an ugly tweed old man's golfer cap."
She also said "I love sophisticated fashion but I also love to be funky."
The blonde beauty confesses to owning 20 pairs of Paige jeans but just recently sprung for an expensive Chloe handbag. She discovered the fashion differences when she lived in New York during her successful run on the Broadway Stage. She noted "In New York would go out after performances with their hair in pin curls and no one cared". When she returned to Los Angeles "I went to a Hollywood party" and "it was so glamourous it stressed me out."
Christina has enjoyed a long working relationship with celebrity hairdresser Ken Paves who has coiffed her hair for a number of Red Carpet and Award Show performances. Ken also styled Christina's hair for her wedding to Johnathon Schaech, who she is now divorced from, but still on friendly terms.
How does Christina look so fab? She works hard at having a great body alternating between Ashtanga yoga, running, jazz ballet and streneous boot-camp fitness programs that have helped her keeps a fabulous figure.
When did Christina dump her former bag lady fashion sense? In her mid-20s when she decided she wanted she "wanted to look pretty."
For Christina's cover on InStyle - Special Shape Issue - her hair was beautifully coiffed by celebrity hairdresser Jenny Cho.
In the August 4, 2008 issue of USA Today it was announced that Christina Applegate had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer. The 36 year old Emmy and Golden Globe nominated star of Samantha Who will be undergoing treatment according to her publicist, Ame Van Iden.
Christina's mother is a breast cancer survivor. Christina's on again/off again boyfriend recently was found dead.
