She recalled, "I've always been a really ambitious person. Another child was originally cast in the part, but Ricci devised a plan to secure the role for herself: She taunted her rival so much that he punched her. Career Beginnings and child stardom (1990–1996) Īt the age of eight, Ricci was discovered by a local theater critic when she starred in a school production of The Twelve Days of Christmas. She has been vocal about her childhood in interviews, particularly her parents' divorce and turbulent relationship with her father. Ricci's parents separated when she was a preteen. Her siblings are Rafael (born 1971), Dante (born 1974), and Pia (born 1976).
She later attended Professional Children's School in New York City. Ricci's family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where she grew up attending Edgemont Elementary School, Glenfield Middle School, Montclair High School, and Morristown–Beard School. So they married more Irish women, there were more sons, and more Irish women. There's an Italian four or five generations back who married an Irish woman and they had all sons.
Regarding her surname, Ricci has stated, "The Italian blood has been bred out of me. Her father had a varied career, including jobs as a gym teacher, lawyer, drug counsellor, and primal scream therapist. Her mother worked as a Ford Agency model during the 1960s, and later became a real estate agent. Ricci was born in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of Sarah ( née Murdoch) and Ralph Ricci. She is the national spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). In 2010, Ricci made her Broadway debut in Time Stands Still. As well as voicing characters in several animated films, Ricci provided voices for the video games The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon and Speed Racer: The Videogame (both 2008).
She currently stars as Misty on the critically acclaimed Showtime series Yellowjackets (2021–present). She also starred as Maggie Ryan on the ABC series Pan Am (2011–12), and produced and starred in the series' The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015) and Z: The Beginning of Everything (2017). On television, Ricci appeared as Liza Bump in the final season of Ally McBeal (2002), and received acclaim for her guest role on Grey's Anatomy in 2006. Ricci's other credits include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Prozac Nation (2001), Pumpkin (2002), Anything Else (2003), Cursed (2005), Penelope (2006), Black Snake Moan (2006), Speed Racer (2008), and The Matrix Resurrections (2021). She garnered acclaim for her performances in The Opposite of Sex (1998), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and Monster (2003). At 17, she moved into adult-oriented roles with The Ice Storm (1997), which led to parts in films such as Buffalo '66 and Pecker (both 1998). Subsequent appearances in Casper and Now and Then (both 1995) brought her fame as a " teen icon".
Ricci made her film debut at the age of nine in Mermaids (1990), which was followed by a breakout role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993). She is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild awards. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits: to date, her films have grossed in excess of US$1.4 billion. Christina Ricci ( / ˈ r iː tʃ i/ REE-chee born February 12, 1980) is an American actress.