Kelly Bundy Is Looking Gorgeous Nowadays At 50

Aug 06, 2021 by apost team

"Married… with Children" was one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in television history. It was full of fun and laughs and introduced many bright stars to the world. Among some of the most notable actors to appear on the series was Christina Applegate. Applegate portrayed the character of Kelly Bundy, the oldest child of the family that was extremely popular at school and also known as being a stereotypical dumb blonde. Portraying the character with absolute perfection, Applegate went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Since then, Applegate has worked hard in the industry to truly establish herself as a successful film and television actress and has been nominated for several awards and accolades. She has found work in many sitcoms since her time on "Married… with Children," and has starred in a plethora of movies. She has held a title role on Broadway. On top of this, Applegate has also shown off a variety of other talents, including dancing and producing.

As Applegate approaches the age of 50, she has a lot to be thankful for and many accomplishments to be proud of. She has overcome many obstacles in her personal life, as well as created a highly successful career for herself, all the while being her bright, beautiful self. From finding her footing in the entertainment industry early on, Applegate has grown up right in front of our eyes into a gorgeous woman with plenty of accomplishments and a long list of amazing roles she has played over the years.

Born on Nov. 25, 1971, Applegate grew up in Los Angeles with parents already in the entertainment industry. Her father, Robert William Applegate, was a record producer and record company executive. Nancy Priddy, her mother, is a retired actress, singer, and songwriter. Some of Priddy's most notable roles include appearing in "Bewitched," "The Waltons," and "Matlock." Applegate's parents separated shortly after she was born.

In 1972, Applegate made her television debut alongside Priddy in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives." She was just a baby but was already finding more work in the industry and starred in a commercial for Playtex baby bottles. When she was around the age of 10, she made her film debut in the 1981 horror film "Jaws of Satan." As a child star, Applegate continued to find more work herself and really found her footing in the acting industry. She also appeared in a Grace Kelly biopic appropriately titled "Grace Kelly" in 1083 and appeared in a Showtime series called "Washingtoon."

In 1986, Applegate earned the role of a policeman's daughter in the series "Heart of the City," and received a Young Artist Award for her work in the show. Her workload never seemed to stop, as Applegate landed job after job after job, leading up to one of her most notable roles. In 1987, the rising star officially hit her breakthrough and emerged as a true star in the FOX sitcom "Married… with Children." The show followed the lives of the Bundy family, who lived in a suburban neighborhood in Chicago.

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On the sitcom, Applegate played the role of Kelly Bundy, the Bundy family's oldest child. Kelly was known for being popular, extremely ditzy, and oftentimes promiscuous. Applegate truly captured the character and played out the role perfectly as a stereotypical dumb blonde. Typically losing her trail of thought and mispronouncing words, the character of Kelly was not the brightest but a joy to watch on the show. Kelly typically belittled her younger brother, Bud, but would always stand up for him against anyone outside their family and her close circle of friends.

"Married… with Children" lasted from April 1987 until June 1997 and has been acclaimed as one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in television history alongside "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H." To this day, it is still the longest-lasting live-action sitcom from the FOX network. The series received rave reviews and was beloved by fans, and is still in syndication with various networks in the United States. It catapulted Applegate into instant stardom, resulting in her becoming a leading lady in the entertainment industry as her career progressed.

During her time on the hit sitcom, Applegate also picked up jobs in various movies and worked at expanding her career outside of the series. She landed the starring role in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" in 1991, Applegate's first-ever leading role in a mainstream film. She also appeared in a variety of other films, including "21 Jump Street" in 1988, "Dance 'Til Dawn" in 1988, and "Streets" in 1990. She also hosted "Saturday Night Live" in 1993.

During the late 1990s into the early 2000s, Applegate was one of the founding members of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls. She had MC'd for the group at the Roxy Theatre in 2002 and danced for the group during its burlesque era. Once the group switched directions and geared more toward showcasing the vocalists who could also dance, the original lineup had changed, and Applegate was no longer part of the picture.

In 1998, Applegate landed yet another starring role in a sitcom, this time on the NBC series "Jesse." The series was a hit with fans and critics alike, leading to Applegate receiving the People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series. She was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy. However, "Jesse" was canceled in 2000.

Moving into the new millennium, Applegate found more success in the film industry and landed many roles in movies such as "Just Visiting," "The Sweetest Thing," Surviving Christmas," and "Employee of the Month." She was even an executive producer for "Comforters, Miserable" in 2001. Portraying anchorwoman Veronica Corningstone in the 2004 comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," Applegate yet again found more fame and success.

During the ninth and tenth seasons of the smash-hit sitcom "Friends," Applegate guest-starred in a couple of episodes as Amy Green, one of the beautiful and annoying sisters of Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston. Applegate's performance was incredibly well-received, and she even took home the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Amy in the episode "The One with Rachel's Other Sister."

Along with being a highly respected and beloved actress in both films and television series, Applegate has also made a name for herself on the Broadway stage. She has starred in a handful of productions, and her talents in both acting and dancing were highlighted during her debut on the Broadway stage. She made her Broadway debut in 2004, playing the title role of Charity Hope Valentine in the musical "Sweet Charity." Applegate later took home a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005. However, Applegate actually broke her foot during her time in the production, and to this day, she has difficulty dancing the same way she used to be able to.

Moving into the 2010s, Applegate found more work in the film industry, but this time as a voiceover artist. She voiced one of the cats "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" in 2010 and voiced one of the Chipettes in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip." 

Applegate made her way back to network television in the NBC sitcom "Up All Night" in 2011, starring alongside Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett. However, she left the series in 2013 after the show went on hiatus, and the entire series was ultimately canceled. As the decade progressed, the established actress continued to further her career in the film industry and landed roles in movies such as "Bad Moms" and "Vacation." She even reprised her role as Veronica Corningstone in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" in 2013.

While Applegate has had a pretty hectic life with such a busy schedule, she has made sure to find time for herself and her personal relationships. In 2009, she began dating Dutch musician Martyn LeNoble, and the couple got engaged on Valentine's Day the following year. Not even a year later, the happy couple welcomed their first child Sadie Grace LeNoble on Jan. 27, 2011, according to People. Applegate was 39 years old at the time, while her then-fiancé was 41. 

Back in August 2010, Applegate spoke with People and described what she predicted her parenting style would be like. "I'll probably be a little bit hippie and a little bit Type A," she said. "I'll take from what my mother did, which was way hippie and like, 'Do what you wanna do,' and bring some things that I know from watching my friends raise their kids. An amalgamation of sorts."

Although Applegate has had plenty to celebrate over her many years in the spotlight, she has also been met with some hardships. Back in 2008, the star was diagnosed with breast cancer. A spokesperson for the actress released a statement. "Christina Applegate was diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer. Benefitting from early detection through a doctor ordered MRI, the cancer is not life threatening," the statement said, as per People.

In January 2010, Applegate spoke with Us Magazine at an event benefiting the Women's Cancer Research Fund about her new outlook on life following her cancer diagnosis. "You look at life a little bit differently," Applegate said. The news outlet reported that the actress underwent a double mastectomy in August 2008 to prevent her breast cancer from coming back. 

Applegate explained to Us Magazine that having good habits, like a healthy diet, are important in making the most out of one's life. "So try to be as joyful and forgiving as you can, eat beautiful foods that come from the earth — not so much from other places," she said. Most importantly, Applegate explained that laughter "is so healing," and was critical in her moving forward with her life. "Humor has always gotten me through the toughest of times," she explained.

Part of Applegate's healthy lifestyle includes following a vegetarian diet. Speaking with PETA, Applegate talked more about her decision to go vegetarian and her outlook on animal rights. She explained how she first stopped eating meat while working on "Married… with Children." "When I became a vegetarian, I just started reading more and more about where fur comes from and what they do to the animals," Applegate said. The actress has since made a clear stance against the use of real fur in clothing. "They make really great synthetic fur — you really don't need real fur," Applegate explained. "And it's cheaper, so why spend the money?"

In June 2021, Applegate conducted an interview with "Schitt's Creek" star Annie Murphy, a critically acclaimed actress. Although Applegate was the one interviewing Murphy for Interview Magazine, she still revealed some facts about herself. While talking about their experiences going to school and growing up, Applegate explained that she never graduated from high school. The two established actresses also bonded over their shared love for the reality series "Below Deck." "I watch 'Below Deck' every day," Applegate admitted, to which Murphy agreed.

Moving forward with the interview, Applegate and Murphy talked about how important it is to have women in positions of power and authority in the entertainment industry. Applegate brought up her time with her current job as both an actress and executive producer for "Dead to Me." "Thankfully, women are now getting to head some stuff," Applegate explained. "I'm on a show that's written by women, produced by women, directed by women, and the women are the stars. What you're doing is representing."

Applegate's most recent work can be seen in the Netflix dark comedy series "Dead to Me," which also stars Linda Cardellini and James Marsden. There are currently two seasons of "Dead for Me" available to watch on Netflix. The show was renewed for its third and final season in July 2020, which has yet to be released. According to IMDB, Applegate is set to star in the TV movie "Your Time Is Up." The film is set to follow a psychologist reeling from a family tragedy, who then takes an unconventional approach to help her clients. The film is still in its pre-production stage.

Today, Applegate is 49 years old, and is continuing to be an incredibly successful star, and is undeniably one of the most beautiful women in the world. While Applegate has been a working actress in the industry since she was just a baby, she has really come into her own over the years. Finding success during her teenage years, Applegate continued to flourish in the public eye as she continued to land job after job. The rising star quickly became an established actress and has been making her presence known in a variety of films and television series ever since.

What do you think about Christina Applegate's career? What is your favorite film or show you've seen her in? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family, too!