Christina Applegate says she still feels «very proud» of her work in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Applegate opened up about the film on the latest episode of her podcast, MeSsy With Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. «I didn’t wanna do it, because it was a commercial film. I was so into indies back then,» Applegate recalled. «I was like, ‘I’m only gonna do independent film acting.’ I was such a f—ing asshat.»
Applegate went on to note that, while she believed at the time that she was effectively selling out as an actor, she still had fun working on the film. Applegate also explained that she is proud of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead at this point in her career, especially because of the specific place it holds in the wider realm of pop culture. «What movie has a bunch of drag queens steal their car? And people quote it all the time. ‘The dishes are done, man,’ and all that stuff. I feel very proud now about it. I just hated what an assh*le I was at the time.«
She also stated, «And then it went and [made] no money at all,» she continued. «Like, it came out and was a complete flop. And here we are. I’m 53 years old. I was 18 when I did it, I think. Eighteen or 19, and people are still quoting that movie, and I’ve watched it with my daughter a gajillion times.»
Directed by Stephen Herek from a screenplay by Neil Landau and Tara Ison, 1991’s Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead starred Applegate as Sue Ellen «Swell» Crandell, the oldest of five siblings sho are left with the elderly live-in babysitter Mrs. Sturak while their mother takes an Australian vacation with her boyfriend. Though Mrs. Sturak is a tyrant, she quickly passes away from natural causes, to which the Crandell siblings respond by dropping the body off in a mortuary and attempting to fend for themselves. Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead featured appearances from a variety of fan-favorite stars, including David Duchovny, John Getz, and future star of Rob Zombie’s Halloween films (and Halloween 4 & 5 star) Danielle Harris, although this didn’t help it from being lambasted by critics and bombing at the box office upon its release.
A Remake Was Released Last Year
In 2024, a remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead was released starring Simone Joy Jones as Tanya Crandall, retelling the original story for a new generation of audiences. The film’s ensemble cast included Patricia «Ms. Pat» Williams, Jermaine Fowler, Donielle Hansley Jr., Miles Fowler, Nicole Richie, and the legendary June Squibb in the role of Mrs. Sturak. Like the original, the 2024 remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead was met with middling reviews from critics and audiences alike, leaving it with a 54% «Fresh» rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes as averaged across 28 critics’ reviews and only a marginally better 56% rating via the site’s user-generated «Popcornmeter.»
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
