Biography

Christina Ricci

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Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of Sarah (Murdoch), a realtor, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and therapist. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish, and Scots-Irish descent. She made her screen debut at the age of 9 in Mermaids (1990), in which she worked with Winona Ryder and Cher. Her breakthrough adult role was in The Ice Storm (1997), in which she plays a nymphet who skillfully seduces two brothers. She worked with Johnny Depp and Casper Van Dien in the Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow (1999).
- IMDb mini biography by: Tom McDonough / Marshall Oliphant

During filming of Black Snake Moan (2006), grew close with co-star Samuel L. Jackson. The two remain good friends to this day.
First nude scene was in the movie Prozac Nation (2001) in which she requested a closed set and had co-star Michelle Williams present to ensure that she did everything properly.
Her dislike of houseplants led to a rumor that she suffers from botanophobia (fear of plants). This is not actually true, she just dislikes the idea of bringing plant pots containing soil into the house because of the dirt and insects.
Her father, before becoming a lawyer, was a lay practitioner of "primal scream therapy"--wherein it was believed that patients could purportedly scream their way to a psychological breakthrough. While growing up, Christina could hear the screaming coming through the the vents in her room (her father did his therapy sessions at home), and would act them out in front of her mother.
Her parents divorced when she was 13 and she became permanently estranged from her late father when she was 15.

I spend a lot of time with my mother. When I'm doing movies, she's always with me. We spend days being bored in an apartment together waiting for someone to call and say I'm needed for a shot. Because we're together so much, we have to get along. We have to find ways to get to know each other. We've gone through a lot of stuff, you know, and I think we're pretty close.
[in 1995] I can be young and cute when I want to be, and I can be really mature when I want to be. It's kind of weird, like I'm the incredible changing girl, which is good because I can relate to adults and to people my age.
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.
I'm very shy. I can't even act that well when the camera's not on. I get really embarrassed.
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.