Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci
was born on February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four
children of Sarah (Murdoch), a realtor, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and
therapist. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish,
and Scots-Irish descent. She made her screen debut at the age of 9 in
Meerjungfrauen küssen besser (1990), in which she worked
with Winona Ryder and
Cher. Her breakthrough adult role was in
Der Eissturm (1997), in which she
plays a nymphet who skillfully seduces two brothers. She worked with
Johnny Depp and
Casper Van Dien in the
Tim Burton film
Sleepy Hollow (1999).
