Christina Ricci Loves These Stephen King Novels [Interview]
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Christina Ricci has been a pillar of the genre since she burst onto the scene in 1991 with her role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. Since then, she’s appeared in films such as Cursed and Sleepy Hollow, as well as series like Yellowjackets. Now, her most recent horror outing, Monstrous, has hit VOD. We sat down with her to chat about the new film, as well as her love of sci-fi, her Matrix cameo, and more.
Dread Central: What drew you to the script for your new movie Monstrous?
Christina Ricci: I really liked it. I loved the connection between horror and extreme emotional duress. Because of that, I love the reveal and the twist, as well as the psychological kind of element of the script.
DC: So this is a period piece, you get to wear some incredible skirts and outfits. And you’ve been in a couple period horror films. Is there something particular you like about being able to kind of go to a different time in a way in acting in these films?
CR: I’ve done a lot of period pieces over the years. You’re right. And I love doing period because I feel like it’s just another mental distance from your own reality. It kinda allows even more sort of creative freedom, I think.
DC: What was it like working with your young counterpart in this film? It’s just you and your son throughout the entire film. I’m curious about what it’s like to just be the two of you together, working on a film like this, especially one that has so much emotional weight to it.
CR: Well, it is great because when you tend to be comfortable with the person you spend 12 hours day with every day. Then it is easier to do the more emotional scenes and the more taxing performances.
DC: You’ve been in a lot of horror movies, you’re a bit of a genre icon. What do you think is the scariest movie you’ve ever been in?
CR: I dunno. I mean, I don’t actually think I’ve been in that many horror films.
DC: <laugh> In my head, you have <laugh>
CR: Well, I mean, compared to all the other things I’ve been in, I would say that I think I’ve done more comedy than horror. I would say probably the scariest one I was in would be Sleepy Hollow. I guess the other one was Cursed and I don’t know if that’s one so scary.
DC: Yellowjackets came out this year and I’m curious what it’s been like to be on the receiving end of all of this praise, especially for Misty who is quite a character.
CR: I mean, great. It’s really, it’s always nice when people love work that you pour blood, sweat, and tears into. It was so wonderful for everyone involved in the show that it’s been such a success. It’s been really fun.
DC: That’s awesome. You’ve probably seen all the million fan theories that everyone has about this show. And I’m curious if you have a favorite because there are some really outlandish ones. So if you’ve seen any, do you have a favorite or one that kind of makes you laugh in particular?
CR: I don’t have a favorite one. I am completely bewildered by the one where Shauna’s daughter in the present is the child she was pregnant with. I don’t that’s possible. But I think it’s grounded enough in reality that for some reason it like fascinates me. I can’t get past it. Yeah. Cause I don’t think it’s real.
DC: Are you a horror movie fan yourself? Like do you like watching horror movies?
CR: I’m a really big Stephen King fan. I love him. But I wouldn’t say that there’s any other kind of tie into horror for me. I like horror movies. I think they’re fun. But I’m not like obsessed.
DC: Fair enough. So what was the first Stephen King book?
CR: Pet Sematary, I think.
DC: Oh, how old were you?
CR: I think I was like 10 or 11.
DC: Oh my God. I read that recently and it’s incredible how much it gets to you. I always forget.
CR: Yeah, because he does tie in the human pathos to the horror element..
DC: For sure. And what’s your favorite Stephen King?
CR: I don’t know if I have a favorite one. I know people ask me that, but I dunno. I don’t think I have a favorite one. I love them all. And what’s fun too, is that I read so much of his stuff when I was so young that now as an adult, I can go back and read them again because I’ve forgotten the details. So that’s a fun experience also.
DC: And you feel like you pick on so much more. Which did you revisit most recently?
CR: The most recent one I revisited was I think ‘Salem’s Lot. I was excited to reread that one because I hadn’t read it since I was like, I think 11 years old. Oh my God. Um, and so I wanted to read it again and I did and it was great.
If you could be in any Stephen King movie, which one would you choose?
CR: That’s a good question. Oh my, I dunno.
DC: <laugh>
CR: My brain has just turned into literally foggy white right now.
DC: That always happens whenever someone asks me a question like that, too. I’m just like, ‘I’ve never seen a Stephen King movie ever in my life.”
I can’t even remember titles. I have no idea what’s happening right now. Yeah, I can’t tell you/
DC: Fair enough. You said with Monstrous, you liked being in the film because it’s got this psychological bent to it. Are those kinds, the kinds of movies you also like to watch?
CR: I like movies that have a concept and artfully go about executing that concept. I think I do like things that are a bit trickier and hot, more high concepts than just straightforward storytelling. I really love sci-fi, it’s maybe my favorite genre. They’re generally more complex technically.
DC: What’re some of your favorite sci-fi then?
CR: My favorite sci-fi movie of all time is 12 Monkeys.
DC: Ooh, yes. That’s a great one. Do you read a lot of sci-fi too?
CR: I did. When I was younger, I read a lot of sci-fi. I was a sci-fi fantasy geek.
DC: Oh my God. Incredible. It’s the best. It’s the best way to spend your childhood.
CR: It really is when you’re a child. Absolutely. Like, I mean there are like seven books per story. So it’s just the greatest thing that’s ever happened
DC: My fiance is a big fantasy person and like it’s like tomes and tomes of one series, but it’s incredible. I always want more of those worlds, you know what I mean?
CR: And that’s what’s so great. You’re like great, I got 12 books to go.
DC: <laugh> I’ve got 10,000 pages to read.
CR: It’s never-ending. It’s amazing. It’ll take a whole summer.
DC: Are you reading any good sci-fi now?
CR: No, I’m not have really any time to do anything.
DC: <laugh> Fair enough. Speaking of sci-fi, you were in the new Matrix movie for a very short period of time, but what was that like, even for a very short cameo appearance?
CR: It was really fun. I was really hoping at first when Lana called that I was gonna get to do some fighting, but I didn’t. But it was really exciting to be there. And just to be on The Matrix set and Keanu is right there? It’s just like, ‘this is amazing.’
DC: Did you get starstruck <laugh>
CR: Yes. Like ‘Hi, Keanu, I wanna be in John Wick.’ That was basically me.
DC: <laugh> Please, that would be amazing! So I am also curious, would you want to do more of these horror projects again?
CR: I mean, I like to do different kinds of stuff all the time. Yeah. The scripts for me stand on their own merits, regardless of the genre that they’re in or that they represent. I would do more horror, but I have to say it’s not necessarily my favorite. I think I’m really bad at playing scared.
DC: Really? You think so?
CR: Yeah. I think that I come off as a little blasé sometimes when I’m supposed to be scared. So, it’s harder for me to play fear. So I mean, it’s not my favorite to be in a movie where I have to be scared.
DC: Oh, interesting. Why do you think you have a hard time playing fear?
CR: I dunno. <laugh> I dunno. I have no idea. I can’t commit to it sometimes in the same way that I can commit to other things. It’s an unpleasant feeling, you know what I mean?
DC: That’s true. So I’m assuming you don’t like the feeling of being scared.
CR: Right. And I don’t like playing vulnerable people. I’d always rather be the protagonist in any kind of scene or situation instead of reacting.
DC: Okay, that makes sense. I’m curious what is one of your favorite characters that you’ve ever played that has really stuck with you over your entire career?
CR: I would say Wednesday.
DC: Really?
Yeah. it was so formative to me. You know, to have the first thing I did as a child, well, not the first, but one of the first things I did as a child that I achieved the most kind of recognition, to have it be something that was so specific, it really just gave me permission to do things that were really offkey and not as normal or socially accepted.
DC: And you’ve been in the industry like since you played Wednesday and so what has it been like to be a part of the industry for so long and see so many changes going on inside of the industry itself?
CR: It’s bewildering. I mean, I feel like I’m only outside of it, just on the edges. I live a pretty normal day-to-day life. I don’t feel like I’m like in it to know everything that’s happening. So for me, and having done this for so long, it really changes so fast. It’s just like a moving, changing, evolving animal.
DC: I’m not sure if you can say anything, but is there anything you can tease coming up in Yellowjackets that we can look forward to?
CR: No idea. I dunno what’s happening for the second season. I have no idea.
DC: My last question for you is what has been your favorite thing about playing Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets?
I really like playing this version of rage. I like the way she expresses anger and rage. I like that it’s not so obvious. I love passive aggression. I find it so interesting. And what needs to happen to create a person who can only express their anger in a specific way is really fascinating. I like playing a character that expresses herself the way that Misty does.
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