Christina Ricci opened up about losing her dream role in “Leon the Professional” to Natalie Portman when she was a child — the reason being she was too “common” and “healthy-looking.”
The “Yellowjackets” actress shared the experience during a game of “Hot Ones Versus” with co-star Melanie Lynskey on First We Feast’s Youtube show on Tuesday. The pair faced off in a series of challenges with the staple hot questions and even hotter wings. During the final round of the segment Ricci was asked to dish on a role she had missed out on.
“What’s the part you are most upset about losing?” Lynskey asked Ricci. Much to her surprise, Ricci responded to the question with immediate candor. “I really wanted to be in ‘Leon the Professional’ but I was too common and healthy-looking.”
“Oh, God, yeah what a time” Lynskey said with clear shock before Ricci chimed in to joke, “What a time to be twelve.”
Ricci was one of the top child stars of the 1990s after she first came onto the scene in “Mermaids.” Her big break came when she was cast as Wednesday Addams in 1991’s “The Addams Family.” She became known for her goth vibe in beloved classics like “Casper” and “Sleepy Hollow.” She also transitioned to more adult roles in films like “Buffalo ‘66” and “Monster.”
Ricci now stars in “Yellowjackets” which is currently airing its third season. The show follows two different timelines, one where a young girls soccer team is stranded in the wilderness after their plane goes down, and the adult version which shows the PTSD of surviving the ordeal. In the show, Ricci plays the adult version of Misty who grows up to be a healthcare worker with sadistic and slightly psychotic tendencies.
Ricci’s experience losing the role to Portman clearly stuck with her years later. However, the film’s legacy has come under more and more scrutiny with time. The 1994 crime thriller was directed by Luc Besson, who was accused of sexual harassment and abuse by at least 9 women in 2018. The film itself has also become more controversial due to its adult themes and relationships. In the movie, 12-year-old Matilda (Portman) is taken in after her family is murdered by an assassin named Leon (Jean Reno). She then develops an intense bond and infatuation with the professional hitman.
In an interview with THR in 2023, Portman reflected on her experience with the film now that she is an adult, “It’s a movie that’s still beloved, and people come up to me about it more than almost anything I’ve ever made, and it gave me my career, but it is definitely, when you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it. So, yes, it’s complicated for me.”
Ricci was also no stranger to the negative aspects of childhood stardom which was evidenced in her openness of why she lost out on the role of Matilda. The harsh criticism as well as the sexualization of minors remains a dark mark on the industry. The “Hot Ones” segment ended with another quite frank question about the realities of working in Hollywood.
“Who has been the biggest backstabber in your career?” Ricci asked Lynskey. The “Heavenly Creatures” actress said that while she knew, she refused to answer.
“You should have asked me the mean questions,” Ricci joked, saying unlike Lynskey, she would have answered. “I’m fine.”
You can watch the full “Hot One Versus” in the clip above.
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