Christina Ricci: The One and Only
Q: I know Anthony Kiedis, and when I told him I'd be seeing you, he said, "I think she was into us when she was a teenager and has since moved on to more underground, hipper and esoteric musical outfits." That true?
A: That's not true. I was in love with Anthony Kiedis. When I was 11 I told all my friends at a parry, "Give me 17 years, I will be married to that man."
Q: What's your favorite novel?
A: The Fountainhead because the writing is so beautiful.
Q: What about The Catcher in the Rye?
A: I hate The Catcher in the Rye. It's so whiny and incredibly self-involved. The fact that it was supposed to represent what we were going through in our teen years--I was just like, fuck you. I can take responsibility for my emotions and actions.
Q: Who are your favorite poets?
A: Dylan Thomas, Edgar Allan Poe and Rainer Maria Rilke.
Q: What does money mean to you?
A: It means I get to buy lots of fun things.
Q: Such as? A: I got a car that I wanted ever since I was little: a Porsche 996--the new model of the 911.
Q: I heard you have a plastic Jesus on the dashboard.
A: No, it's the Virgin Mary--she's actually an air freshener. Someone spilled beer in my car and it smelled horrible.
Q: What else do you spend your money on?
A: I bought myself this ring [three small diamonds].
Q: If you could have three wishes connected to the movies, what would they be?
A: I'd want to remake The Fountainhead. I'd like to run a studio. I want to have the capacity and ability to make films--I don't have it right now.
Q: Would you say you have a large ego?
A: Yes.
Q: If you could live inside a painting for a while, which would you choose?
A: Edvard Munch's "Vampire." It's a woman embracing a man. It's not because she's a vampire--it's the colors and textures. The painting is so passionate and alive.
Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
A: In conversations I'd like to be able to push a pause button and think, What should I really do here? I'm really bad at pausing and reflecting. I'm really impulsive.
Q: Do you really believe that, with your teen years behind you, you've already lived through your most interesting years?
A: God, I hope so. They were such a pain in the ass. I'd like some banality now.
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Lawrence Grobel interviewed Tea Leoni for the December/January issue of Movieline.
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