Christina Applegate and Katey Sagal go together like a horse and carriage.
On the March 11 episode of “MeSsy,” the podcast Applegate co-hosts with actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate and Sagal reflected on their time working together on “Married… with Children” and how the experience shaped their lives — both on and off-screen.
“You were just such a safe space for me,” Applegate said, looking back on her time with Sagal, who played her mother on the show. “What made you so comforting to me is that you had lived. Lived a lot of life and a lot of scarring and things had taken place and now you were on that side of strength, and I needed that.”
Applegate, who started working on the show at age 15, shared that Sagal’s presence made her feel “safe” and “comforted” her during her various times of need.
Sagal credited the work she did on herself for making it possible to be a refuge to Applegate. She also shared that she was four months sober when she landed the role as Peggy Bundy in the sitcom.
“It’s so interesting because I was so new to my own inner journey because I was new to my own recovery journey,” the actor said.
“But along with that, I was learning very rapidly how to be honest with myself and how important that is for all of us to be that way,” Sagal explained. “And I did have that sense that there was nobody really for you to — I guess what I’m saying is I became very forthright with my journey, which I think opens the door for other people, i.e. you, Chrissy, to be forthright with yours.”
Sagal opened up about her struggles with substance abuse, revealing that she began using drugs and alcohol at age 15. She said sobriety led her back to her childhood self and that this “youthful” perspective helped her connect deeply with Applegate during filming.
“I could relate to you,” Sagal said. “I could absolutely relate to the pieces of you. And so I wanna say that the safety you were feeling was also the umbrella of recovery. That’s kind of what you were feeling, because that was the umbrella around me.”
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Sagal also confessed that she was trying to “fake it til you make it” on set, surrounded by co-stars with far more experience. Though Applegate saw Sagal as a pillar of confidence, Sagal described that “confidence” as being “full of shit.”
“I learned so much about walking through fear and being able to manage myself in very small increments so that I can walk through fear,” she said.
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.