The Iconic Role Christina Applegate Almost Played And Why She Turned It Down

Ironically, even though the tragedy of Christina Applegate's life keeps getting sadder, she's best known for making people laugh. For over a decade, the actor played Kelly Bundy, the cute but dim teenage daughter on "Married... with Children." Applegate went on to star in tons of other comedies, among them movies like "Bad Moms" and "Anchorman," sitcoms such as "Samantha Who?" in which she played the titular character, and hit dramedy "Dead to Me." While her career has been long and successful, the beloved star might have gained even more fame and opportunities if she'd said yes to one particular project. 

In the late 1990s, Applegate was given the opportunity to try out for the lead role in an upcoming comedy film. "The script came along my way and it was right after I had just finished 'Married' and it was a blonde who, in that first script, is dimwitted, but ends up going to Harvard," she told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. But, having just spent so many years playing a similar character, "I got scared of kind of repeating myself," the sitcom star admitted. So Applegate opted not to move forward, and the rest is history. 

The part ultimately went to Reese Witherspoon, and "Legally Blonde" became a huge hit that spawned two sequels and an equally successful Broadway musical adaptation. Over the years, the anecdote has been retold over and over, albeit typically with some slight inaccuracies, which Applegate felt compelled to publicly address. She even posted an explanation on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2015: "To clarify I did not pass on that movie. The script came my way. It was never offered to me. Gotta clear that up." 

In retrospect, Christina Applegate admitted to ET that she'd made "a stupid move" by not even auditioning for "Legally Blonde," especially considering the actor's fear of being pigeonholed as the dumb blonde stereotype turned out to be completely unfounded. As fans of the movie will know, Elle Woods is not only smart enough to get into Harvard Law School but the plucky upstart also helps win a high-profile murder case and later graduates as valedictorian. Still, Applegate has no hard feelings towards the actor who took on the pink-clad role. "Reese [Witherspoon] deserved that," the "Anchorman" star professed. "She did a much better job than I ever could, and so that's her life. That's her path."

Speaking of paths, theirs took a similar turn again several years later. At various times, both women made cameo appearances on "Friends," each playing one of Rachel Green's sisters. Witherspoon played spoiled younger sis Jill, who briefly dated Ross; Applegate portrayed obnoxious middle sibling Amy, who just couldn't comprehend why Rachel and Ross wouldn't choose her to be Baby Emma's legal guardian. For her memorable performance, Applegate won the 2003 Emmy Award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series (surprisingly, she was never nominated for Kelly Bundy). 

Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston now co-star in "The Morning Show," and in 2021, they told ET that they hoped to reunite with their third TV sister someday. "We need Christina Applegate to join us. That would be fun," Witherspoon enthused. Sadly, that may not come to pass: The beloved star was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, and the debilitating disease makes it difficult for her to work.