Christina Applegate Earns Emmy Nom Amid Retirement Claims: “It’s Been Quite a Ride”

Christina Applegate has another Emmy nomination under her belt. On July 12, the actor earned a lead actress in a comedy series nod for “Dead to Me” season three, marking her fourth time being recognized for the Netflix series and eighth Emmy nod during her decades-long career. Applegate reacted to the news on social media, tweeting, “Thank you to the @TelevisionAcad @netflix @CBS and also the Hollywood critics and of course @GoldDerby for this incredible honor. I am humbled and grateful. It’s been quite a ride. Thanks for the lift.”

Applegate’s latest nomination is particularly gratifying and deserved. In 2021, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) while filming the final season of “Dead to Me.” Despite dealing with painful physical symptoms and difficulty standing on set, the 51-year-old star pushed through and took one last bow as hot-headed real estate agent Jen Harding. Applegate has recently discussed the possibility of retiring due to the chronic condition, making her Emmy nod all the more significant.

Applegate joins four other lead comedy actress nominees for 2023: Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face”), and first-time nominee Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”). The Television Academy included her in the same category in both 2020 and 2019, though she lost to “Schitt’s Creek”‘s Catherine O’Hara and “Fleabag”‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, respectively.

Related: Christina Applegate Is the Fearless Disability Warrior I Needed Growing Up

In the past year, Applegate has been vocal about MS’s impact on her acting career, sharing that she likely won’t act on screen again but hopes to try voice-over work in the future. At Variety TV Fest last month, she thanked fans for their ongoing support while accepting the TV legacy award. “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,” she said. “I don’t know if I can. I’d love to, I do miss it, I miss it so much.”

Applegate attended the 2023 SAG Awards with daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble in February, sharing at the time that it would likely be her “last awards show as an actor.” Here’s hoping her recent Emmy nomination means she’ll be stopping by the ceremony in September.