As this star of stage and screen turns 43 (no, we can’t believe it either!), let’s take a look back at her career highs and occasional lows. Cancer survivor Applegate has wowed us from the days of Kelly Bundy, her role as a frazzled new mom on the sadly canceled Up All Night. and reprising her role as Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. But we bet you’ll find a few roles in here that surprise you!

“Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in,” are we right? Well, for once-television stars who took a break from the medium that seems to be this season’s motto. See what Christina Applegate, Tim Allen, and Poppy Montgomery (to name a few) had to say about taking the plunge back into TV.