Christina Applegate recently opened up about the pressures of Hollywood and her experience with plastic surgery, which she admitted was influenced by external pressures rather than personal choice. During an episode of her podcast, MeSsy, co-hosted with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate shared a compelling story about how a comment from a producer led her to undergo surgery at a young age.
“At 27 years old, I was on a show and one of the producers, very famous people who did a very famous show as well, said, ‘Hey, we’re having trouble lighting under your eyes. Your bags under your eyes are so big,'” Applegate recalled. The suggestion that followed was clear, “I suggest you get them removed.” Feeling the weight of the recommendation, Applegate conceded, “And you know what? I did.”
Now 52, Applegate reflected on how the comment about a hereditary feature impacted her decisions. She also recounted a more recent incident that occurred before her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, which highlighted the ongoing challenges actors face regarding their appearance.
She narrated an unsettling experience during a sound recording session for a film, where the director informed her that the studio had spent over $100,000 to digitally alter her appearance in the movie. “He goes, ‘Yeah, the studio was really upset,'” she remembered. The director’s explanation? “It’s like she’s not Kelly Bundy anymore and, you know, so she looks older,” leading the studio to “literally erase my face.”
These experiences shed light on the intense scrutiny and unrealistic beauty standards that actors, especially women, face in the entertainment industry. Applegate’s openness about her surgery and the digital alteration of her appearance offers a stark glimpse into the pressures that come with aging in Hollywood.
This candid reveal from the Emmy-winning actress, known for her role as Kelly Bundy on the hit Fox sitcom Married… with Children, resonates as an important commentary on the challenges of maintaining a public image in an industry that often values youth and conventional beauty above all.