Christina Applegate's memoir You With the Sad Eyes just hit shelves this week, and the once-private stories she opens up about in the book are swirling.

One such story she reveals is when she was up for the role in Anchorman (2004).

Originally, the movie bigwigs offeredApplegate a very lowball salary for her role as Veronica Corningstone, and she had to turn it down.

Describing the offer as “a little offensive,” Applegate bravely declined, asserting her worth.

But then, two well-known colleagues on the movie stepped up and made things right, the Anchormandirector Adam McKay and actor Will Ferrell.

Applegate expressed profound gratitude for their support, emphasizing that their actions ensured “Anchorman” became “one of the best experiences of my entire life.”

Referring to McKay and the ensemble castthat included Ferrell, Steve Carell,Paul Rudd, andDavid Koechner, Applegate says, "Learning from that group of dudes and that is the masterclass that people paid for!"

She adds, "It was just absolutely magical, and it's been invaluable to me and my

“Anchorman” is a popular comedy from the early 2000s, starring Will Ferrell as San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy.

The story follows his rivalry with new female co-anchor Veronica Corningstone, played by Christina Applegate.

The film also features comedians Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Fred Willard.

Its success led to a 2013 sequel, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” with Applegate returning as Veronica.

In 2024, Applegate and Ferrell reunited on Applegate’s podcast to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anchorman.

Ferrell shared an interesting story about the movie’s early days, revealing that the original ending had Veronica Corningstone “abducted by a vigilante group,” inspired by the Patty Hearst kidnapping.

This version didn’t test well, scoring just 50 out of 100, which Ferrell admitted “was not good.”

Fortunately, instead of resorting to panic, the studio provided a budget for reshoots.

With the steady guidance of Judd Apatow, an entirely new ending, famously featuring pandas and bears, was shot over five days.

“Anchorman” was eventually released in theaters on July 9, 2004, and went on to achieve a worldwide box office gross of $90 million.