Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate
Credit: Darren Michaels\/Dreamworks\/Apatow Prod\/Kobal\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Christina Applegate<\/a> has the whole Anchorman <\/em><\/a>team to thank for making her role in the movie possible.<\/p>\n The actress, 54, recently appeared on The View<\/em> to promote her new memoir You With the Sad Eyes<\/em><\/a>. While discussing her role in the 2004 film, she revealed it almost didn’t happen because “When they came in with the initial offer, it was, you know, a little offensive.”<\/p>\n “And I said, ‘I can\u2019t. I know my worth, and I can\u2019t do that,’ ” she continued, explaining that it was at that point that director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell<\/a>, who starred in the film and wrote it alongside McKay, gave parts of their own salaries to make up for the insufficient offer, which was notably less than that of her male co-stars.<\/p>\n “They wanted me bad enough, and they said, \u2018Well, we\u2019re gonna chip in,’ ” she shared, adding, “Thank God they did because it was one of the best experiences of my entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <\/strong>PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell Applegate found filming the comedy to be “such a lesson.”<\/p>\n “I had never done improv before. Learning from that group of dudes\u2026 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\u2019s been invaluable to me and my career,” she said.<\/p>\n Representatives for McKay and Ferrell did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.<\/p>\n Christina Applegate and Will Ferrell In July 2024, Ferrell and Applegate reunited on the\u00a0MeSsy<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>podcast, where Ferrell told host\u00a0Jamie Lynn Sigler<\/a>\u00a0how he thought Applegate assumed he had marital issues with his\u00a0wife, Viveca Paulin<\/a>.<\/p>\n “When we were shooting the movie, we would go out a lot socially,” he said, while Applegate started laughing. He then explained that Paulin was absent from a lot of the social outings the group would go on together outside of shooting.<\/p>\n Applegate found it suspicious and eventually asked Ferrell about the absences. It was halfway through shooting that the couple shared they were expecting their first baby, son Magnus.<\/p>\n “‘I knew something was up!’ ” Ferrell recalled his costar saying. Applegate responded, “I remember that you guys had something you weren’t sharing yet.”<\/p>\n<\/div>
Credit: Moviestore\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
Credit: Peter Iovino\/Dreamworks\/Apatow Prod\/Kobal\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n