Christina Ricci has been a key Hollywood player since she was a kid. While the 41-year-old is now best known for her indie film work, she started her career as a highly sought-after (and well-paid) child actor. Her resume includes several big box office hits, along with roles on popular TV shows and the Broadway stage. But just how much has this experienced star made from her many decades in the business? Here’s a look into Christina Ricci’s net worth.
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Christina Ricci’s Career
Born in Santa Monica, California, on February 12, 1980, Christina Ricci got her big break when she was discovered at the tender age of eight. A well-regarded theater critic happened to see her perform in a school play and immediately knew she had potential. A year later, she was cast in the comedy-drama Mermaids alongside Hollywood heavyweights Winona Ryder and Cher.
“It was amazing,” Ricci said of her debut role, in a 2018 interview with the AV Club. “That whole experience was so…You know, for a child to have a normal suburban life and then all of a sudden to be flying to Boston to audition with Cher and then back to New Jersey that night, and then finding out at, like, 11 p.m. after I got back that I got the part. The whole thing was really incredible. And earth-shaking. It changed my life forever.”
Mermaids was both a critical and commercial success, bringing Ricci instant fame and notoriety. In 1991, the young actress garnered even more acclaim for her portrayal of the dark and precocious Wednesday Addams in the Barry Sonnenfeld-directed movie, The Addams Family. The film was a huge hit at the box office and spawned a just-as-successful sequel, Addams Family Values, in 1993. More movie parts followed, including roles in the 1995 live-action flick, Casper, the 1995 coming-of-age drama, Now and Then, and the 1997 Disney film, That Darn Cat.
As the ’90s rolled on, Ricci began taking on roles in more adult-oriented films, including the critically acclaimed independent features The Ice Storm and Buffalo ’66. She also starred in the 1998 indie The Opposite of Sex, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
In 1999, Ricci starred alongside Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s gothic horror fantasy hit Sleepy Hollow. She continued her reign as a young indie-movie queen throughout the ’00s, appearing in films such as 200 Cigarettes, Prozac Nation, Monster, Penelope, and Black Snake Moan. Since 2006, the majority of Ricci’s big-screen work has been in smaller-budget projects, except for The Smurfs 2 and The Matrix Resurrections.
Television Work
Ricci is also an accomplished TV actress. She had a recurring role on Ally McBeal in 2002 and earned an Emmy nomination for her guest performance on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy in 2006. She also starred in the ABC series Pan Am, which was a period drama set in the 1960s. While the show was short-lived (it ran for just one season, from 2011 until 2012), Ricci says it was one of her favorite acting jobs.
“That show was so fun,” she said in her interview with the AV Club. “You know, it was really hard work, long hours, and ultimately not successful, but it really was just so much fun in terms of hair, makeup, and wardrobe. It was a good time.”
Ricci found some serious substance in her next role as infamous ax-murderer Lizzie Borden in the Lifetime movie, Lizzie Borden Took an Ax. The 2014 TV movie was so successful that it was followed by an eight-episode miniseries, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, which Ricci also produced. Since then, Ricci has starred as two other fascinating female historical figures—Zelda Fitzgerald in the 2017 Amazon series Z: The Beginning of Everything and Nelly Bly in the 2019 Lifetime movie, Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story.
Theater Work And Other Ventures
Having been discovered while performing her heart out in a school play, it’s no surprise that Ricci also has theater credits to her name. In 2010, she made her Broadway debut, replacing Alicia Silverstone in the play Time Stands Still, which starred Laura Linney, Brian d’Arcy James, and Eric Bogosian. While the accomplished actress loved being on stage, she admitted it was more tiring than she had anticipated.
“I never realized how exhausting rehearsals would be,” Ricci said in a 2010 interview with Broadway World. “It seemed like such a daunting and overwhelming thing, and I was assured that once I was in rehearsals I would understand how everything works. It is true; every day you get a little further, every day you learn a little more and become more confident. But it is incredibly exhausting—and also really gratifying. You feel really good at the end of the day that you’ve tackled something.”
In addition to stage and screen, Ricci has been involved in several other interesting entertainment-related projects. She’s narrated three audiobooks, including a reading of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women, and provided audio for video games such as The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. She’s also appeared in ad campaigns for Gap and Louis Vuitton, as well as music videos for Moby and Beck.
Christina Ricci’s Net Worth
The Ice Storm actress’ financial status seems to be in dispute. According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Ricci is worth $8 million. However, sources such as The Richest, The Things, and The Sun estimate her fortune to be closer to $18 million. While we don’t know which number is correct, the discrepancy could be due to the star’s recent divorce from cinematographer James Heerdegen.
According to Page Six, the couple went through a contentious custody battle for their young son, with Ricci ultimately winning sole legal custody (Heerdegen was granted visitation rights). While we don’t know the terms of their divorce settlement, we do know Ricci agreed to pay her ex “reasonable costs for travel and accommodations” to see their son.
In August of 2021, Ricci revealed she was expecting her second child with her new beau, hairstylist Mark Hampton. The couple tied the knot two months later, in October of 2021.
In terms of real estate, Ricci purchased a 1,891-square-foot home in Los Feliz in 2005 for $1.5 million, which she sold at a loss, for $1.37 million in 2014. In 2017, The Gathering actress bought a 2,205-square-foot, two-unit townhouse in the trendy Brooklyn, New York, the neighborhood of Fort Greene for approximately $1.9 million. Unfortunately, that was the home she shared with Heerdegen, and it’s unclear if she still owns the property or gave it up in the divorce settlement.
With so much steady success in her career, we’re sure Ricci is doing just fine on the financial front, despite the assumed $10 million discrepancies. The actress says she’s very happy doing what she does and has no plans to forge a new career path. “This is a pretty good job,” she told the AV Club. “And I really love acting itself. I love filmmaking. I love being a part of it. The fame stuff, I could do without it, to tell you the truth. But the work itself? It’s my passion. I couldn’t do anything else.”