Christina Ricci Biography
Born: February 12, 1980
Date of Birth: February 12, 1980
"If I hadn't gone into acting, I would have been one of those weird runaways on Hollywood Boulevard. No, it'd be uglier. I'd probably be dead." - Christina Ricci
This Santa Monica, California native has the feel of another Jodie Foster about her. She's been appearing in films since she was 10 and at the age of 17 turned in a very adult-like, accomplished and complex performance in The Ice Storm. "I'm serious about acting," Christina says. "I don't want to do cheesy films. I want to do things that have integrity. I don't want to be just another kid who did a couple of movies."
The youngest of four children born to a lawyer and realtor, Christina grew up in a house where her father (who was a psychiatrist before becoming a lawyer) practiced psychiatry, specializing in shrieking therapy. During the sessions, she could hear the therapies through the vents in her room, and would act them out in front her mother. Her performance at age eight in a school play caught the attention of a local theater critic, who suggested to her parents that she consider an acting career.
A year later, Christina made her debut film in Mermaids (1990), winning a Young Artist Award as Best Young Actress in a Supporting Role. She decided to skip schooling in the art of acting and just continued her career. "I don't have any training, and I don't believe in training. Of course, people who don't have any training always say that."
She soon became an actress in demand and was cast in a number of films, including The Addams Family (1991) (and the sequel, Addams Family Values), Casper (1995), Now and Then (1995), That Darn Cat (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Bless the Child (2000).
Although she seems like a girl who is granted everything, Christina has had her share of disappointment as well. She has been turned down for many roles including Lolita in Lolita (1997), Batgirl in Batman and Robin, Rose in Titanic as well as roles in Jurassic Park and Little Women.
Unlike so many child stars, Christina didn't fade into oblivion when she entered into adulthood. "I think the main reason a lot of child stars don't make it is that it's hard to see someone as cute and then all of a sudden see them as having more depth. I guess I was just lucky that, when I was little, nobody thought I was that cute."
In 2003, Christina decided to try her hand at directing with The Speed Queen (2004), also starring in the film in the lead role as Marjorie Standiford, a woman only hours away from her execution on death row. She received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series when she guest-starred on Grey's Anatomy in 2005.
She starred in major motion pictures such as Penelope (2007), Speed Racer (2008) and Bel Ami (2012) opposite Robert Pattinson. She most recently lent her voice to the animated film The Smurfs 2 (2013).
On October 26, 2013, Christina married camera grip James Heerdegen, whom she met in 2011 while both were working on the ABC series Pan Am. They have a son, Freddie, born in August 2014.
Filmography:
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Mothers and Daughters (2016)
Around the Block (2013)
The Smurfs 2 (2013)
War Flowers (2012)
Bel Ami (2012)
Born to Be a Star (2010)
Alpha and Omega 3D (2010) (voice)
After.Life (2009)
All's Faire in Love (2009)
New York, I Love You (2009)
Speed Racer (2008)
Home of the Brave (2007)
Penelope (2007)
Black Snake Moan (2007)
The Gathering (2006)
The White Rose (2006)
Cursed (2005)
Monster (2004)
I Love Your Work (2003)
Anything Else (2003)
Miranda (2002)
Pumpkin (2002)
All Over the Guy (2001)
Prozac Nation (2001)
The Man Who Cried (2001)
Bless the Child (2000)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
200 Cigarettes (1999)
No Vacancy (1999)
Small Soldiers (1998) (voice)
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Buffalo '66 (1998)
Desert Blue (1998)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998)
Pecker (1998)
Souvenir (1998) (voice)
That Darn Cat (1997)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
Last of the High Kings (1996)
Casper (1995)
Gold Diggers (1995)
Now and Then (1995)
Addams Family Values (1993)
The Cemetery Club (1993)
The Addams Family (1991)
The Hard Way (1991)
Mermaids (1990)