Christina Ricci

17th March 2023

Christina Ricci got her first paid acting gig when she was ten. Within a couple of years, Christina was everywhere: Casper, Now and Then, and of course, The Addams Family. She was one of the biggest child stars of the 90s. Then, an indie film legend in films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm, and Buffalo 66. These days, Christina Ricci is the Emmy-nominated star of the Showtime drama Yellowjackets. Correspondent Jordan Crucciola—host of the Maximum Fun podcast Feeling Seen—geeks out with Christina about all things Yellowjackets. Plus, they talk about why taking on comedic roles makes her deeply uncomfortable – even though she’s played plenty of great comedic roles. A version of this interview originally aired in in August of 2022.

Episode notes

Christina Ricci as Misty in Yellowjackets Season 2. Photo by Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME.

Christina Ricci got her first paid acting gig when she was ten, playing Cher’s daughter in the ’90s comedy film Mermaids. 

Within a couple of years, Christina was everywhere: Casper, Now and Then, and of course, The Addams Family. It goes without saying that she’s one of the biggest child stars of the ’90s. 

But, Ricci didn’t want to be a child star. She didn’t like kid’s movies.

As soon as she could, she started taking grown up parts. Roles that were artsy and boundary pushing. That led her to some iconic indie films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm, and Buffalo 66. 

Showbiz is a fickle thing, though. Christina kept working over the years, but she wasn’t landing those big, thrilling roles that she’d hoped for. 

But these days, Christina Ricci is in a renaissance. In 2019, she was cast as Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets, a buzzy new drama about a group of teenage girls who survive a horrific plane crash. The timeline on the show alternates between the crash itself and now, where the adult survivors are forced to sort through their trauma.

Yellowjackets premiered on Showtime in 2021, and it was a hit among critics and audiences alike. For the first time in 15 years, Christina earned an Emmy nomination in 2022. 

Last year, our correspondent, Jordan Crucchiola, geeked out with Christina about all things Yellowjackets. Plus, they talked about why taking on comedic roles makes her deeply uncomfortable – even though she’s played plenty of great comedic roles.

Jordan hosts the Maximum Fun podcast Feeling Seen – it’s a movie podcast where guests talk about the first time they saw themselves in a movie character. She’s talked with guests like W. Kamau Bell, Ke Huy Quan, Susan Orlean and more.

Yellowjackets will kick off its second season on March 26th. You can catch the season premiere on Showtime. 

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow
Video Editor

Guests

  • Christina Ricci

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Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

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Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Video Editor

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