Christina Applegate Interview

Playboy, July 2004 (The one with La Femme Nikita Nekkid)

Playboy: How competitive was the child acting world back in the 1980s?

Christina Applegate: Unbelieveably. Everything was kid-dominated. It was the era of Silver Spoons, Family Ties, Charles in Charge. Every girl my age had long, blonde hair, and we'd curl it for our auditions. It was really important to get on a show, get on a show, get on a show. I used to pray, 'Oh God, I just want to be on a sitcom. I really, really do.'

Playboy: Describe the financial security that comes from starring on a popular sitcom for 11 seasons?

Applegate: Not so secure, honestly. Fox didn't give us residuals. When it came time to negotiate for syndication pay, Fox claimed it really wasn't a network. So we didn't get what we would have if we were on Family Ties or one of those other shows. Those people can live off their residuals the rest of their lives. I think about it every once in a while and get a little pissed off, but we were stupid to accept it. Married with Children is showing five times a day on three different networks in almost every country in the world, and the checks I get are hysterical, literally for 75 cents.