Christina Ricci talks to ET about earning her second acting nomination and why her 'Yellowjackets' role resonated with fans.
Following the breakout success of Yellowjackets season 1, the Showtime drama garnered seven nominations for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. Among them is a nod for Christina Ricci in the Supporting Actress category for her wildly captivating turn as Misty, one of the adult survivors of a plane crash that left her and her teammates stranded in the Canadian Rockies 25 years prior.
“It’s really incredible,” Ricci says by phone shortly after the nominations were announced Tuesday morning, revealing that “I may or may not have cried a little bit in my bathroom privately.”
Initially not planning to be up when the list was revealed (“My baby was teething last night, So I was like, ‘Listen, I’m just gonna sleep in'"), she woke up to “incessant calls and texts,” one of which was from co-star Melanie Lynskey, who was also nominated for her role as Shauna.
“Melanie was the first one of the first texts I missed this morning when I was oversleeping. And one of the first people I texted back,” Ricci says, explaining that as a cast, the older women “are very tight… And so, all of us always keep in touch. I heard from all of them this morning. So, it’s been really lovely.”
While speaking to ET, Ricci also explained what made her want to play Misty on the Showtime series, how she’s preparing for season 2, which starts filming at the end of the summer, and why she wanted to join Netflix’s Wednesday series starring Jenna Ortega in the same role that made her a star several decades prior.
ET: What is it about this role that you think has resonated so much with fans and critics alike?
Christina Ricci: Well, even with how outlandish her behavior can be and how extreme she is as a character, I think one of the core things that her character exhibits is extreme sort of frustration. And her personality is a reaction to being kept from what she’s wanted, being kept down, being frustrated. And I do think that at this time, a lot of people feel that way. And so, it’s fun to see somebody who feels just as powerless as they do, who feels just as sort of cheated in a way as they do, and to be acting out those emotions in a way that we can’t as, say, normal people.
That said, I am curious, when you first read the role, was all of that there? Did you know, “This is exactly the part I want to play?"
It was all there. And it was in just one little scene, ‘cause that pilot script that I read, which was the only script I read, it was just that one scene of her abusing the old lady. And to me, it was such a succinct character study of this petty, small, powerless human being that feels the need to do this sort of thing. And it was so informative and so well written that the person that you extrapolate from that scene, the character you extrapolate from that scene is fascinating. And so, I was really dying to play her once I had read the pilot.
I think filming on season 2 is coming up, and I was curious how you are preparing for the new season and getting ready in terms of playing Misty again?
Well, I don’t know. I think what’s really interesting about television is finding the character in the first season can be a little stressful and feel a little bit chaotic, especially since everybody’s finding the series at the same time. But then you do get to go and you talk about it. So, it feels like this insane sprint. And you’re just trying to figure out how to run the whole time. Then you get done and then you spend nine months talking to the press about the character and listening to your fellow actors talk about their characters and listening to the writers really talk about their take on the show. And I think all of that really does lead to even more growth for the character. At least, it did for me. Like, I really have even more understanding of who she is now and an understanding of how I could evolve with her and make her even better. So, I’m really excited to go back in and make improvements, basically.
Is there anything you’re most excited about to explore with Misty moving forward, especially after the way season 1 ended?
I always get excited for the fun stuff. You know, the murder cleanup and the mystery solving and all that stuff. Like, that’s the stuff I love. But I also am excited for our sort of knowledge of her to grow and for us to sort of find out more about who she is. You know, she’s a very active character, but we don't know that much about her real story and who she is. And I’d like to explore more of that as well.
Melanie teased to ET that we’re going to get some new adult versions of survivors that we haven’t seen yet. And I was just curious—
I don’t think we’re supposed to talk about that. I think we might have all gotten in trouble for that comment.
Well, I guess I’ll ask then, are you excited about welcoming some new cast members and expanding the group that you all formed in season 1?
I am excited about the potential of new cast members coming in. And yeah, I’m just excited for the story -- the story got so crazy in the last episode of season 1, and I’m just excited for that complexity and the new characters we’ll be introduced to and everything, you know.
It was announced that you joined the Wednesday Addams series on Netflix. What made you want to revisit that world?
Well, I mean, I have a lot of sentimentality and affection for that world. I feel like with that whole world, I was so young.. and I feel like my personality is so intrinsically connected to the experience I had playing that character and in that world. So, I’ll always have affection for it. And I was thrilled and really flattered to be asked to come and be a part of this new iteration of Wednesday, especially because it was Tim Burton who asked me and he is so incredibly talented and wonderful. And I have such wonderful feelings about having worked with him before. So, it really felt to be a part of this.
What has it been like to see Jenna take over this role, and how do you think her take is going to resonate with audiences or a new generation of fans?
I think people are gonna love her Wednesday. I mean, she is so talented and she’s so smart and funny. And really, her Wednesday is like a really great modern interpretation.
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out live Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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