By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
February 7, 2017
Moviegoers have watched Christina Ricci grow up on screen. After earning rave reviews for her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in 1991’s “The Addams Family,” she transitioned into more mature parts in films such as “Sleepy Hollow,” “Prozac Nation” and “Monster.” Her latest role is portraying Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald in Amazon Prime Video’s “Z: The Beginning of Everything.” The fictionalized series focuses on Zelda and her future husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald. During a break from filming, Ricci did a phone interview to share some of her travel stories.
Q. You live and work in New York City. How would you describe the city?
A. New York has such a unique identity. The city definitely feels to me like I’m living and breathing history. There’s so much history and so many secrets here. It’s a really magical and romantic place in that there are so many stories here.
Q. Where are some of the locations you’ve traveled to for your work?
A. Oh, so many places. I’ve filmed in Canada, England, France, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany and Ireland. … Within this country, I’ve shot in Montana, Arizona, Nevada, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and, of course, New York for this series. I’ve been to a lot of places.
Q. You portrayed a flight attendant in “Pan Am.” Having had a taste of the glamorous days of flying, what’s your take on our more casual approach to travel?
A. I like being comfortable and casual, but I also like when people look really put together. I don’t like seeing people in jammies on the airplanes. When I was little, my mother always had a traveling outfit and it was her smartest look. I like the idea of having a sharp travel look. I don’t do it well, but it’s something that I strive for. When I see a woman who’s put together, I want to go up to her and ask how she manages (Laughs). I think it may be all about the cashmere.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. The first flight I ever took was when I was 8 years old. I flew to Los Angeles for a commercial. It was the first time I flew first class. It was the first time I ever stayed in a really fancy hotel and I remember every detail of that trip. It was so exciting. Nothing seemed more glamorous than when we stayed at the Sunset Marquis hotel. I felt really special. They had bunnies in the garden. That was heaven on earth for a little girl.
Q. Do you travel with your child often?
A. Yes, I do. I have never spent a night away from him, except working overnight on a night shoot. He’s been doing a really good job. He was just on my press tour and roundtable thing and we went to Los Angeles for the Golden Globes. He did so well and he’s really becoming very adaptable. He’s only 2. I was very proud of him. I think it’s so cute when kids travel. He has his own suitcase and even though it’s very small, it’s too big for a 2 year old. He wants to roll it though.
Q. What is on your travel bucket list?
A. I want to go to New Zealand, desperately. I’m just trying to work out when we can go and the whole thing. I just can’t wait. My husband’s family is from there and he’s been there several times. Everything I’ve heard about it and everything he has told me sounds so wonderful. I’d like to see more of Asia. I’ve been to Tokyo and Taipei and Hong Kong. I’d love to see the cherry blossoms in Kyoto one day. I’ve never been to Mexico and I really want to visit some cities there.
Q. Do you adapt well to foreign food overseas?
A. Yes. I’ve never gotten sick or had food poisoning overseas. I eat pretty adventurous when it comes to food. I love trying new things and going back for my favorites. When I’m in Tokyo, it’s all about the tempura and noodle places.
Q. If you had to live somewhere outside of New York for a year, where would you choose?
A. Hmmm. I really love London. I could definitely live in Paris. We were just in Venice (Italy) and that was magical. Right here in the States, we really love Denver. I’ve always really liked Charleston. It’s beautiful and feels almost like a European town. There’s just something about it. It’s really adorable.
Q. How good are you at picking up foreign languages?
A. I’m great at picking up a couple words! (Laughs) I’m not so great when it comes to conjugation. I know a decent amount of French, though, so that’s helpful.
Q. What trips stands out in your mind?
A. We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon. It was unbelievably amazing. All the trips to Venice were memorable, too. We really love it there.
Q. How has your travel changed since you were in your 20s?
A. In the past, we’ve done Caribbean islands for long weekend trips. Now that I have a small child, I’m afraid of going to places (with strong outbreaks of) Zika.
Q. Where do you like to go for weekend getaways?
A. I think Miami is still a really good weekend destination spot from New York. It’s quick to get down there, the food is so nice, it’s tropical … We’ve done a few last-minute kind of weekend trips down there.
© 2017 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
