Christina Ricci is not a weirdo.
True, she’s played the girlfriend of a female serial killer, a morbid child, a sex addict, a teenage seductress and a girl who talks to a ghost.
And yes, in her latest film, the modern fairy tale “Penelope,” which comes out Friday, she plays a young woman born with the snout of a pig.
But, you know, she’s just acting.
“I think if you look at all these roles, they’re all extreme situations, but they’re all human stories,” she says on the phone from L.A.
“I find that as an actor the more interesting characters to play are usually the ones who are in some sort of pain or turmoil,” she says. “Because, you know, when people are happy, they don’t generally do much.”
And besides, what exactly is normal?
“I don’t know what normal is. I think anyone suffering from the same human condition as the rest of us falls into the normal category,” she says.
“I have played characters in extreme situations, but I’ve also played people who have gone through things I have gone through, or people I know have gone through. So I would never consider them abnormal,” Ricci says.
Still, Ricci has hardly led your everyday life. A recognizable Hollywood face since she was perfectly cast at age 10 as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family,” Ricci has grown up in show business.
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And despite the abundance of dark roles on her resume, Ricci exudes optimism.
“My friends kind of joke that in my world everybody is just really friendly; we just live in a neighborhood where everybody knows my name, and doesn’t everybody know your name?” she says. “It’s this kind of make believe Mr. Rogers world. But it’s what makes everything livable and fun for me.”
RICCI’S ROLES
Ricci has made more than 35 films since her debut at age 9 alongside Cher in 1990’s “Mermaids.” She’s never had any formal training.
1991 The Addams Family
She was the perfect fit at age 10 for morbid, deadpan Wednesday in a role that made her instantly recognizable.
1997 The Ice Storm
Ricci showed she had serious chops as a teen seductress in Ang Lee’s tale of suburban angst.
1999 Sleepy Hollow
She inspired Johnny Depp to take on the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton’s grim fantasy adaptation.
2003 Monster
She played the girlfriend of murderous Oscar-winner Charlize Theron in this true-life serial killer saga.
2006 Black Snake Moan
Playing an abused child grown addicted to sex, she managed to be electric and tragic at once.