Christina Applegate

We first knew her as the infamous Kelly Bundy, but Christina Applegate has come a long way since her sitcom days. Today, the established actress has a roster of television, film and even music video appearances under her belt.

Christina Applegate was born on November 21, 1971 in Hollywood, California. Her parents, record producer Robert W. Applegate and singer-actress Nancy Lee Priddy, divorced shortly after her birth. She also has two step-siblings from her father's remarriage – Alisa, born in 1977 and Kyle, born in 1981. Applegate has been married once, to actor Johnathon Schaech. The couple divorced in 2005.

Applegate's road to glitz and glamour started early. At three months old, she made her television debut, appearing on Days of our Lives with her mother. Two months later, she appeared in a commercial for Playtex nursers. Why the rush to the red carpet? It obviously wasn't by choice at that age, but as the child of a single mother who couldn't afford babysitters and who also happened to be an actress, Applegate was occasionally included in her mother's projects.

As a child, she made her big screen debut in 1981's Jaws of Satan. Soon after, television roles came pouring in. Most were bit parts in programs such as Charles in Charge, Silver Spoons and Family Ties, interspersed with several TV movies (notably, she portrayed a young Grace Kelly in 1983's Grace Kelly).

In 1987, Applegate landed the role of ditzy teenager Kelly Bundy in the Fox comedy series Married…with Children. The program was the network's first ever prime-time series and followed the life and times of shoe salesman Al Bundy, his homemaker wife Peggy, teenage son Bud and daughter Kelly.

Famous for her dim-witted yet completely memorable comments, the character of Kelly was written as a stereotypical dumb blonde, complete with bimbo persona, bleached blonde hair and excessively short attention span. As the show progressed, Kelly grew dumber and dumber, much to the delight of the audience. Applegate's depiction of airhead Kelly drew rave reviews, despite the program's controversial, often risqué jokes and storylines.

Applegate continued to appear in other projects during her time on Married…, including a stint on 21 Jump Street and a starring role in the big screen comedy Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.

Married… was cancelled in 2007, but it was only the start for Applegate. With plenty of opportunities before her, Applegate moved forward with her career.

The work didn't cease for Applegate after the hit sitcom's cancellation. In fact, her movie career picked up; she starred in several independent and feature films. It wasn't long, though, before the lure of TV drew her back in. She accepted the title role in NBC's sitcom Jesse in 1998. The show ran for two years and Applegate earned a People's Choice Award and a Golden Globe nomination for her work.

Versatility and experience on her side, Applegate easily transitioned back into the film world. She starred in several well-known movies, including:

• Just Visiting
• A View from the Top
• The Sweetest Thing
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
• Surviving Christmas

In the middle of it all, she even found time to earn herself an Emmy Award.

In 2002, Applegate returned to TV in NBC's Friends, portraying Rachel Green's younger sister, Amy Green. The actress appeared in another episode in 2003. For her work in 2002's "The One with Rachel's Other Sister," Applegate won an Emmy for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy.

Proving her multifaceted talent, Applegate is also a stage actress who has performed in a number of productions, including a stint on Broadway in 2006's Sweet Charity. For her performance, she won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Applegate currently stars on ABC's critically lauded sitcom, Samantha Who?. The actress portrays the lead role, a young woman who develops amnesia following a car accident and attempts to rediscover who she truly is.

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