These days, when a lot of people think about the most popular ‘90s sitcoms, it is shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that come to mind first. While that makes sense since all of those shows are considered legendary now, it is a shame that 3rd Rock from the Sun doesn’t come up in those discussions much more often.

A truly hilarious show about four aliens trying to blend in on Earth, 3rd Rock from the Sun was highlighted by an incredibly talented ensemble cast. However, these days, some people seem to think of 3rd from the Sun as being the show that Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in as a youngster. Of course, Gordon-Levitt often comes across as a great guy but that doesn’t mean his former co-stars on the show shouldn’t be talked about more.

When it comes to Kristen Johnston, she is the perfect example of a once-famous sitcom star who no longer gets talked about much these days. However, once you learn about what has happened in Johnston’s life since 3rd Rock from the Sun ended, you will realize how crazy it is that people haven’t paid that much attention to her.

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Revealing Her Addiction

In the year 2012, Kristen Johnston released an autobiography titled “Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster”. To the surprise of Johnston’s many longtime fans, the talented comedic actor revealed in that book that she spent years struggling with a serious pill and alcohol addiction.

In her autobiography, Kristen Johnston called herself a “pill-popping lush” whose “love affair with chemicals started in high school”. Furthermore, Johnston wrote about how she fed her habit at that young age. “I started stealing Vicodin all the time from my best friend who needed them for her migraines ... stealing them from my mother, who had just had knee replacement surgery ... [and] taking painkillers prescribed for my own sweet dog.”

After coping with addiction throughout her years starring in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Johnston agreed to star in a 2006 play called “Love Song” in London, England. After figuring out how to feed her habit in a new country, Johnston starred in the play’s opening night to great reviews. However, Johnston revealed in her book that the following night after her debut in that play, her “intestines ripped open”. Rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery after the contents of her stomach leaked into her body, Johnston barely survived her ordeal.

In the aftermath of nearly losing her life, Johnston had an epiphany. “I finally truly felt the weight of all the pain I had caused, all the tears that had been wasted on me, all the gifts that had been given to me that I had carelessly frittered away, and all of the thousands of hours I had spent obsessing about something as ridiculous boring and stupid as me. ... thirty-nine years old. Totally alone. a wasted life.” That realization inspired Johnston to enter rehab and thankfully she has been able to maintain her sobriety for years, just like her former sitcom peer Matthew Perry has.

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Disease Diagnosis

A couple of years after Kristen Johnston’s autobiography was released, she revealed that she had Lupus Myelitis, an autoimmune disease that affects the spinal cord. While other stars have revealed their health issues, including Amy Schumer who talked about having Lyme Disease, Johnston’s description of her ailment sounded extremely harrowing. After realizing that she “had trouble climbing stairs” and that she could no longer lift her neck without a brace, Johnston spent four months seeing 17 doctors.

After all of that time and effort, Kristen Johnson was treated with chemo and steroids which resulted in going into remission. Considering that Johnston told People magazine that she would have taken her own life if she hadn’t recovered, it is a great thing that she got treatment when she did. After all, according to what Johnston’s doctor told People, she would have ended up being a quadriplegic had treatment been delayed much longer. On the bright side, Johnston spoke about seeing her life in a new light after her recovery. “Every single day is a gift, and I don't take one second of it for granted”

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Current Career

To this day, Kristen Johnston is best known for playing 3rd Rock from the Sun’s Sally Solomon. However, unlike some stars who are famous for starring in a beloved sitcom, Johnston has enjoyed a great deal of success since leaving that show behind. For example, in the years since 3rd Rock from the Sun ended, Jonhston appeared in several movies including Austin Powers in Goldmember, Music and Lyrics, and Bride Wars.

On top of starring in a slew of different movies over the years, Johnston continues to find her greatest success as a TV star. Able to land guest roles in a long list of popular shows, Johnston showed up in series like Sex and the City, ER, Ugly Betty, and Modern Family. More importantly, Johnston was hired to play the main character in a TV Land sitcom called The Exes which ran for four seasons and co-starred Wayne Knight and Donald Faison. These days, Jonhston’s career mostly revolves around the popular sitcom Mom. Initially hired to guest star in Mom’s 5th season, Jonhston’s character took on a recurring role the following year, and since the 7th season, she has become one of the show’s main stars.

Next: 15 90s Sitcoms We'd Still Watch In 2020