Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980, in Santa Monica, California, to Sarah Murdoch, a real estate agent, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and therapist. She is of Italian, Irish, and Scottish descent. She grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and attended Glenfield Middle School and Montclair High School before being home-schooled.
Ricci’s acting career began at the age of eight when she was discovered in a school play. Her first role was in the film Mermaids (1990), starring Cher and Winona Ryder. She gained significant recognition for her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993).
As Ricci transitioned into adulthood, she sought out more challenging and diverse roles to shed her child actor image. She received critical acclaim for her performances in films such as The Ice Storm (1997), directed by Ang Lee; Buffalo ’66 (1998), directed by Vincent Gallo; and Pecker (1998), directed by John Waters.
Ricci has appeared in a wide range of films across various genres. Some of her notable works include: