Ferrell and McKay would go on to have other hits—“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “Step Brothers,” “The Other Guys”—that also skewered their male characters’ idiocy. And while those movies also incorporated funny actresses, none of those characters—not even Amy Adams’ endearing, nerdy Susan from “Talladega Nights”—was the perfect combination of sensible, sexy and hilarious as Veronica. Ferrell works best with an onscreen partner—think John C. Reilly or Mark Wahlberg—who can give his outsized comedy something to bounce off of. By comparison to his other costars, though, Applegate didn’t provide Ferrell with the usual insanity, manic childishness or slow-burn exasperation. In “Anchorman,” she’s the voice of sanity—she’s our entrypoint into this sexist, ridiculous world. Veronica may be the only major character in the Ferrell Cinematic Universe who we can relate to—she’s refreshingly, entertainingly normal, and she’s victorious because of it. Through her understated, reasonable reactions, we see just what an uproarious pompous ass Ron is. Her thwarting of him feels weirdly satisfying—she gets the jerk to change, at least a little.
Applegate was on a roll after “Anchorman.” From there, she was Tony-nominated for her lead role in the revival of the musical “Sweet Charity” and returned to the small screen for “Samantha Who?” She was part of the 2013 “Anchorman” sequel—although not nearly enough—and starred in the NBC sitcom “Up All Night.” More recently, Applegate was Emmy-nominated for her acclaimed series “Dead to Me,” which was executive produced by Ferrell and McKay. But those professional highlights have been tempered by sad personal news: In 2021, she revealed she had been diagnosed with MS. The condition made it virtually impossible for her to continue appearing on screen, although that was hardly the only way in which her life has profoundly changed.
“With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day. You just have little shitty days,” Applegate explained in 2023, later adding, “There are just certain things that people take for granted in their lives that I took for granted. Going down the stairs, carrying things—you can’t do that anymore. It fucking sucks.”
Beyond all the other reasons that her diagnosis is heartbreaking, MS has curtailed a second act that was still going strong. That comeback began around “Anchorman,” and if you watch the movie now, notice how integral she is to its comedy. Never a prude but absolutely not tolerating Ron’s chauvinistic behavior, Veronica bewitches him from the first moment they meet at that pool party. Feeling studly in his robe and swim trunks, he walks up to her, ready to pounce, only to be disarmed by her scrutinizing stare. She doesn’t know who he is—doesn’t recognize what a big deal (in his own mind) he is—and so Ron starts to sputter, his pickup lines powerless in the face of such poise. This sort of thing doesn’t happen to him. Throughout “Anchorman,” he will try to get the upper hand, but he never succeeds. Veronica is too assured. Dumb guys are funny, but they’re never as funny as when they’re cut down to size by a smart woman.