As Wednesday in “Addams Family” Christina Ricci once rose to fame. The actress was one of the many child stars to emerge from the ’90s. And early on she embodied women who did not fit into the classic image – rebellious and unsympathetic. She was a pioneer. Back then, she said in an interview with The Guardian, she was able to be rebellious in a way “that I don’t think many other young women were.” And yet, looking back at her past, she says, “I regret everything.”
The role of Wednesday was Ricci’s breakthrough in Hollywood. That was in the early 90s and Ricci was just eleven years old. Unlike many young colleagues, the 42-year-old made the leap from child star to serious actress. But that didn’t protect her from the downside of fame and dealing with young women in business. “There was a lot of stuff written about me that was disgusting,” she says. A lot has improved today, but there is still “internal misogyny” that has to be dealt with.
Ricci is currently filming the second season of “Yellowjackets”. It’s about high school football players who become cannibals after a plane crash. Ricci plays Misty, an outsider who finally finds social support in the wild. A character in which, as Ricci reports, many viewers recognize themselves. “It’s interesting that people can relate to such an extreme character and feel unaccepted and alone,” says the actress. She herself is extremely interested in “deviant behavior” and “what happens to someone when they feel very small – the pettiness, the control – especially in relation to women’s experiences.”
Ricci had previously spoken of childhood trauma, of abuse. When asked if it was sexual abuse, Ricci replies, “I’ve had many… different… I’ve had… there were many things, but I don’t mean that. There were childhood things. Child abuse in my family.” In a 2019 interview with the New York Post, she said that making your child famous is child abuse.
She is not suitable as a role model, says Ricci. She points out that there could be a few chilling stories. Ricci was once known for provocative, sometimes scandalous statements in interviews. Phrases like “I’m not afraid of dying” and “It’s so natural to have sex with [parents]” came up. If she could turn back time, she would do better, Ricci said.
Quellen: The Guardian 1, The Guardian 2, The Sunday Times
