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 known for playing unique and sometimes mysterious characters. Christina often works in smaller, independent movies, but she has also appeared in many big movies that lots of people watched. She has been nominated for important awards like the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Primetime Emmy Award.

Christina started acting in movies when she was nine years old. Her first film was Mermaids (1990). She became very famous for her role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991). Later, her roles in Casper and Now and Then (both from 1995) made her a popular young star. When she was 17, she began taking on more grown-up roles in independent films like The Ice Storm (1997) and Monster (2003).

On television, Christina played Liza Bump in the final season of Ally McBeal (2002). She also had a guest role on Grey's Anatomy in 2006, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination. She starred in the show Pan Am (2011–2012) and later produced and starred in The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015) and Z: The Beginning of Everything (2017). In 2022, she appeared as Marilyn Thornhill in Netflix's Wednesday. Since 2021, Christina has played Misty Quigley on Yellowjackets, receiving nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award. She also voiced Catwoman in the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader (2024).

In 2010, Christina made her first appearance on Broadway in the play Time Stands Still.

Early Life and Education

Christina Ricci was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 12, 1980. She is the youngest of four children. Her mother was a model in the 1960s and later became a real estate agent. Her father had many different jobs, like a gym teacher and a lawyer. Christina has said that she has Italian, Irish, and Scottish family roots.

Christina's family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where she grew up. She went to several schools there, including Edgemont Elementary School and Montclair High School. She later attended the Professional Children's School in New York City. Her parents separated when she was young.

Acting Career Highlights

Becoming a Child Star (1990–1996)

Christina was discovered at age eight after starring in a school play. Soon after, she appeared in some funny commercials on Saturday Night Live. This helped her get her acting union card.

Her first movie was Mermaids (1990), where she played Kate Flax. She also appeared in the music video for "The Shoop Shoop Song" from the film's soundtrack. The next year, she played the dark and clever Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. She played Wednesday again in the 1993 movie Addams Family Values. Both films were very successful and made a lot of money. Critics really liked her acting, saying she played Wednesday with a lot of depth for her age.

Christina got her first main role in Casper, a comedy about a friendly ghost, in 1995. This movie was one of the highest-grossing films of that year. In the same year, she also starred in the adventure movie Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain. She played Roberta in the coming-of-age drama Now and Then, a movie that many people still love today.

Moving to Adult Roles (1997–2004)

In 1997, Christina starred in the Disney movie That Darn Cat. Later that year, she appeared in The Ice Storm, a drama about family problems. Critics praised her performance, saying she showed the defiance and confusion of growing up very well.

Christina had a small part in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). That same year, she had main roles in three other movies. In Buffalo '66, her acting was called "astonishing." She also starred in Pecker, a comedy by director John Waters.

In 1999, Christina was the lead in the spooky film Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton. She won an award for her role as Katrina Van Tassel. She also hosted Saturday Night Live that year. Other movies from this time include 200 Cigarettes (1999), Bless the Child (2000), and The Man Who Cried (2000). In The Man Who Cried, critics noted her ability to show deep sadness. In 2001, Christina starred in and produced Prozac Nation, an independent drama. Critics agreed that her acting was excellent in this film.

In 2002, Christina appeared in The Laramie Project, a drama based on a true story. She also co-starred in the British thriller Miranda. She had a guest role in seven episodes of Ally McBeal. She also produced and starred in Pumpkin (2002), a comedy about a unique relationship. A critic from The Chicago Sun-Times praised her brave performance in Pumpkin.

In 2003, Christina played different roles: a young woman with amnesia in The Gathering, a former girlfriend in I Love Your Work, and a strong-willed love interest in Woody Allen's Anything Else.

Next, Christina co-starred in the true-crime drama Monster (2003). The film received great reviews, especially for Charlize Theron's acting. Theron won an Academy Award and called Christina the film's "unsung hero" in her speech.

More Film, TV, and Theatre (2005–Present)

In 2005, Christina provided vocals for a song by the artist Beck. She also starred in the horror film Cursed. The next year, she played a paramedic in two episodes of Grey's Anatomy, earning an Emmy nomination. She then played the main character in Penelope (2006), a romantic comedy where she wore a special prosthetic nose. Critics found the film charming and Christina's performance impressive.

Christina Ricci in 2007

Christina's role as Rae Doole in the 2006 drama Black Snake Moan was highly praised. She also appeared in Home of the Brave, a drama about soldiers returning from Iraq.

In 2008, Christina co-starred as Trixie in Speed Racer, a big-budget movie based on a Japanese cartoon. The film received mixed reviews at first but has since been seen as a "masterpiece" by some. She also appeared in a segment of the movie New York, I Love You.

In 2009, Christina was in three episodes of Saving Grace. She also co-starred in the thriller After.Life. Then, Christina made her Broadway debut in the play Time Stands Still in 2010. Even though she felt nervous, her performance was described as "confident" and "appealing."

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

Christina played a kind waitress in the comedy Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011). From 2011 to 2012, she starred as a flight attendant in the TV series Pan Am, which was set in the 1960s. In 2012, Christina returned to the stage to perform in a play by William Shakespeare.

Next, Christina used a British accent for her role in Bel Ami (2012), a historical drama. She also starred in the Australian film Around The Block (2013), playing an American drama teacher. She provided voices for the animated films The Smurfs 2 (2013) and The Hero of Color City (2014).

In 2014, Christina played Lizzie Borden in the TV movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax. She played the role again in 2015 for The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, which she also helped produce. Critics praised her performance, calling her "gleeful and ruthless." She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work.

In the drama Mothers and Daughters (2016), Christina played a woman who gets important news from a family member. Her next big project was the 2017 series Z: The Beginning of Everything, where she played a famous American socialite named Zelda Fitzgerald. She also produced this series. Critics said her performance was one of her best since Monster.

In 2018, Christina starred in the thriller Distorted. Her acting was a highlight for critics. Her next films were The Matrix Resurrections (2021) and the supernatural thriller Monstrous (2022). In Monstrous, critics noted her amazing ability to show fear and emotion with just her eyes.

For her role as Misty Quigley in the TV series Yellowjackets (2021–present), Christina was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. The show is very popular and tells the story of women who survived a plane crash when they were teenagers.

In 2022, it was announced that Christina would be in the Netflix series Wednesday, directed by Tim Burton. This series is about Wednesday Addams, a character Christina played when she was younger. Christina appeared as Marilyn Thornhill, a teacher at Nevermore Academy. She said she was proud of her original Wednesday role but also thought Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday in the new series, was "amazing." The show was a huge success, and critics loved Christina's performance.

In 2023, Christina voiced the DC Comics supervillain Harley Quinn in a podcast series. She also appeared in the music video for the song "Demons" by Doja Cat, playing a frightened homeowner.

Personal Life

Christina Ricci is known as one of the muses (inspirations) for artist Mark Ryden. Her image has appeared in some of his paintings and sketches.

Relationships and Family

In 2008, Christina started dating actor Owen Benjamin. They got engaged in 2009 but ended their engagement a few months later.

In 2013, Christina announced her engagement to dolly grip James Heerdegen, whom she met while working on the series Pan Am. They got married in October 2013 and had a son in August 2014. They divorced in 2020.

In October 2021, Christina announced she had married hairstylist Mark Hampton. Their daughter was born in December 2021.

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

Selected Filmography

Christina Ricci' film credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1990	Mermaids	Kate Flax
1991	Hard Way, TheThe Hard Way	Bonnie
	Addams Family, TheThe Addams Family	Wednesday Addams
1993	Cemetery Club, TheThe Cemetery Club	Jessica
	Addams Family Values	Wednesday Addams
1995	Casper	Kathleen "Kat" Harvey
	Now and Then	Roberta Martin
	Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain	Beth Easton
1996	Last of the High Kings, TheThe Last of the High Kings	Erin
1997	Little Red Riding Hood	Little Red Riding Hood	Short film
	That Darn Cat	Patti Randall
	Ice Storm, TheThe Ice Storm	Wendy Hood
1998	Buffalo '66	Layla
	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas	Lucy
	Small Soldiers	Gwendy Doll	Voice
	Pecker	Shelley
	Desert Blue	Ely Jackson
1999	200 Cigarettes	Val
	No Vacancy	Lillian
	Sleepy Hollow	Katrina Van Tassel
2000	Bless the Child	Cheri Post
	Man Who Cried, TheThe Man Who Cried	Suzie
2001	All Over the Guy	Rayna Wyckoff
	Prozac Nation	Elizabeth Wurtzel
2002	Pumpkin	Carolyn McDuffy	Also producer
	Miranda	Miranda
2003	Gathering, TheThe Gathering	Cassie Grant
	Anything Else	Amanda Chase
	I Love Your Work	Shana
	Monster	Selby Wall
2005	Cursed	Ellie Myers
2006	Penelope	Penelope Wilhern
	Black Snake Moan	Rae Doole
	Home of the Brave	Sarah Schivino
2008	Speed Racer	Trixie
	New York, I Love You	Camille	Segment: "Shunji Iwai"
2009	All's Faire in Love	Kate
	After.Life	Anna Taylor
2010	Alpha and Omega	Lilly	Voice
2011	California Romanza	Lena	Short film
	Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star	Kathy McGee
2012	Bel Ami	Clotilde de Marelle
	War Flowers	Sarabeth Ellis
2013	Smurfs 2, TheThe Smurfs 2	Vexy	Voice
	Around the Block	Dino Chalmers
2014	Hero of Color City, TheThe Hero of Color City	Yellow	Voice
2016	Mothers and Daughters	Rebecca
2017	Teen Titans: The Judas Contract	Terra	Voice
2018	Distorted	Lauren Curran
2020	10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up	Abigail
	Percy	Rebecca Salcau
	Here After	Scarlett
2021	Matrix Resurrections, TheThe Matrix Resurrections	Gwyn de Vere
2022	Monstrous	Laura
2024	Child Star	Herself
	Sonic the Hedgehog 3	Kathleen "Kat" Harvey	Archive footage from Casper
TBA	The Dresden Sun	Dr. Dresden Corliss	Post-production
	Unplugged	Kit / Ivana Viktimn	Voice; in production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television Roles

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Other Projects

Music

• 2005: "Hell Yes" – Beck

Music Videos

• 1990: "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" – Cher
• 1991: "Addams Groove" – MC Hammer
• 1993: "Addams Family (Whoomp!)" – Tag Team
• 2000: "Natural Blues" – Moby
• 2023: "Demons" – Doja Cat

Video Games

• 2008: The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon as Cynder
• 2008: Speed Racer: The Videogame as Trixie

Audiobooks

• 2005: Gossip Girl – Narrator
• 2005: Gossip Girl: You Know You Love Me – Narrator
• 2012: Little Women – Narrator

Scripted Podcast

• 2023: Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind as Harleen Quinzel

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Christina Ricci para niños