DreamWorks Pictures
Anchorman: The Legend of Rob Burgundy star Christina Applegate as revealed that she initially turned down the offer to star in the film because she felt her offer was too low. Applegate eventually agreed to join the film after Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay took money out of their own pockets to improve her pay.
During a recent appearance on The View, Christina Applegate — who had to step away from on-screen roles in 2021 due to an MS diagnosis — detailed how she found the initial offer she receiver for Anchorman to be “a little offensive” and that she was prepared to turn it down had Will Ferrell and Adam McKay not stepped in to make her whole.
Anchorman went on to become one of the defining comedies of the 2000s and helped Applegate transition from being a TV star to a film star.
Christina Applegate says Anchorman star Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay took money of their own salaries to improve her pay
“When they came in with the initial offer, it was, you know, a little offensive. I said I can’t. I know my worth, and I can’t do that. They wanted me bad enough, and they said, ‘Well, we’re gonna chip in.’, Thank god they did because it was one of the best experiences of my entire life,” Applegate explained on The View.
“It was such a lesson. I had never done improv before. Learning from that group of dudes… that is the masterclass that people pay for. Steve Carell like taught it. Adam McKay developed an entire new way of doing it with his group. To get in there and have that happen was absolutely magic and it’s been invaluable to me and my career.”