Christina Ricci facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christina Ricci
Ricci in 2020
Born	(1980-02-12) February 12, 1980 (age 45) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Professional Children's School
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	James Heerdegen ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2021)​ Mark Hampton ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	2
Signature

Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. She is famous for playing unique and interesting characters. Ricci often works in independent movies but has also been in many big box-office hits. She has been nominated for major awards like the Golden Globes and Emmys.

Ricci started acting when she was ten years old in the movie Mermaids (1990). She became very famous for playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991). After that, she starred in popular movies like Casper and Now and Then (both 1995), which made her a teen idol.

As she got older, Ricci took on more grown-up roles in films like The Ice Storm (1997) and Sleepy Hollow (1999). On television, she has appeared in many shows. She had a guest role on Grey's Anatomy in 2006, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination. She also starred in the TV series Pan Am (2011–2012).

More recently, Ricci played Marilyn Thornhill in the Netflix series Wednesday (2022). Since 2021, she has starred as Misty Quigley in the show Yellowjackets. This role has earned her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Early Life and Family

Christina Ricci was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 12, 1980. She is the youngest of four children. Her mother, Sarah, was a model, and her father, Ralph, had several jobs, including a gym teacher and a lawyer. Ricci has said she has Italian, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.

Her family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where she went to school. She later attended the Professional Children's School in New York City, which is a school for young actors and artists. Her parents separated when she was a teenager.

Acting Career

1990–1996: A Star from a Young Age

When Ricci was eight, a theater critic noticed her in a school play. Soon after, she appeared in commercials on Saturday Night Live. This helped her start her professional acting career.

Her first movie was Mermaids in 1990. The next year, she played the gloomy and clever Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. She played the role again in the 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values. Both movies were very successful. Critics loved her performance as Wednesday.

In 1995, she starred in the movie Casper as Kat Harvey. That same year, she was in the movie Now and Then. This film has become a favorite for many people over the years.

1997–2004: Moving to Adult Roles

Ricci at the Gramercy Park Hotel, 2007

In 1997, Ricci starred in the Disney movie That Darn Cat. She also began to take on more serious roles. She played a curious teenager in the drama The Ice Storm. Her performance was praised by critics.

In 1999, Ricci starred with Johnny Depp in the horror film Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton. For this role, she won a Saturn Award.

In 2003, Ricci co-starred in the movie Monster. The film was based on a true crime story. Ricci played the friend of the main character, who was played by Charlize Theron. Theron won an Academy Award for her role and thanked Ricci in her speech, calling her the film's "unsung hero."

2005–2017: Success in Film, TV, and Theater

Ricci with Emile Hirsch at the premiere of Speed Racer (2008)

In 2006, Ricci appeared in two episodes of the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Her performance earned her an Emmy Award nomination. She also starred in the romantic comedy Penelope. In the movie, she played a girl born with a pig's nose and had to wear a special prosthetic for the role.

In 2008, she played Trixie in the action movie Speed Racer. In 2010, Ricci performed on Broadway for the first time in a play called Time Stands Still.

From 2011 to 2012, she starred in the TV series Pan Am as a flight attendant in the 1960s. In 2014, she played the main character in the Lifetime movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax. The movie was about a real person from history who was accused of a famous crime. She played the role again in the 2015 series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles.

In 2017, she produced and starred in the series Z: The Beginning of Everything. She played Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of the famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.

2018–Present: Yellowjackets and Other Projects

Ricci has continued to work on exciting projects. In 2021, she joined the cast of the Showtime series Yellowjackets. She plays the adult version of a character named Misty Quigley, one of four women who survived a plane crash as teenagers. The show has been a huge success, and Ricci was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role.

In 2022, she returned to the world of the Addams Family in the Netflix series Wednesday. The show is directed by Tim Burton and follows Wednesday Addams during her school years. Ricci, who famously played Wednesday in the 1990s, appeared as a new character, a teacher named Marilyn Thornhill.

Personal Life

Ricci (right) with U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2007

Ricci has spoken about her past struggles with anxiety. She has eight tattoos, including a lion on her shoulder blade inspired by one of her favorite childhood books, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

In 2013, Ricci married James Heerdegen. They have a son who was born in 2014. The couple divorced in 2020. In 2021, Ricci married hairstylist Mark Hampton. They have a daughter, who was born in December 2021.

Ricci is also an activist. .....

Selected Filmography

Television

See also

In Spanish: Christina Ricci para niños