Why Judy From Dead To Me Looks So Familiar

Although Cardellini is incredibly passionate about the work that she does and is willing to try new things that comes her way, the key roles she's enjoyed in her career have sometimes complicated matters for her in the real world. Aside from juggling motherhood and relationships, as she told Elle, being interchangeable with her characters causes fans to confuse who Cardellini actually is off-screen. "It's a double-edged sword. You want people to believe what you're doing, so if they believe it, feel passionately about it — and, in turn, dislike you for something unlikable that your character does — in one way, that's a good thing. But as a person, it's not easy to digest," she explained.

Cardellini then recalled how, when she was on Boy Meets World and her character split up lovebirds Cory and Topanga, the backlash from fans was intense. "I remember a bunch of kids running up to me and yelling, 'Homewrecker!' and then running away. It was the first time I'd been recognized in public: a group of little kids calling me a homewrecker," she revealed. Still, Cardellini understands it comes with the territory given what she does for a living, even if viewers' outsize reactions don't always make sense.