She has become the first choice for rebellious, slightly cooky, slighly off-the-wall characters for many Hollywood directors. Never formally trained in acting, Christina herself has said: "If I hadn't gone into acting, I would have been one of those weird runaways on Hollywood Boulevard."
She was born in Santa Monica, California, on 12 February 1980, but was raised in New Jersey. Her heritage is Scots-Irish with a little Italian on her paternal grandfather's side. Christina Ricci is the daughter of a lawyer father and realtor mother. Her big screen debut came at the age of just 9, opposite Cher in the movie Mermaids. Cookie kid roles followed in movies like The Addams Family and Caspar, and it might have been possible Christina had gone the same way into obscurity as so many Hollywood child stars before her. Then came the movie The Ice Storm, where she played a nymphet who skillfully seduces two brothers, which totally redefined her in the eyes of audiences worldwide. She has been top ten most wanted cookie celebrity totty ever since.
