Nervous Christina Ricci has an awkward interview on the Tonight Show


An awkward interview
Christina Ricci was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote Speed Racer last night and she was visibly nervous and kind of blathering on at some points. Toward the end of the interview she warmed up when she was talking about her physical preparation for the role, but you can tell she’s not used to doing talk shows and that it was difficult for her. The interview was very awkward and I felt kind of sorry for her watching it.

On being scared of a bobcat in her neighborhood
She met a cougar that was on earlier with an animal handler and said she didn’t pet him when Jay asked about it because “that cougar could eat me.” She sounded kind of ditsy about it, and also said there’s a bobcat in her neighborhood and that she runs into the house from her car because “they eat people.”

On her press tour for “Speed Racer”
Ricci said it was her first worldwide film tour, and that she rode on a private jet for the first time along with the cast of the film. When Jay asked her if she’d done that kind of press junket before she said “I did big movies when I was a kid, but I never went on a private jet before.”

She said she won $70 playing blackjack on the jet and beat everyone.

On being a neat freak and cleaning other people’s houses
She said she has a packing list for when she travels and has to make sure she has all the items listed out ahead of time. As for dating men who are slobs, she says “I like when you don’t have to sanitize yourself after you go over to a man’s house. Some boys don’t really value clean [sic]”

Leno asked her if she was at someone’s house and their kitchen is messy would she clean it, and she said “I will and if I don’t really know the person I’ll kind of say ‘I’m not trying to be pushy or controlling or anything, but would you mind if I took that into the kitchen did did your dishes?'”

On her closet, with shoes organized by designer
“I have one room that’s all shoes and bags… it’s a small room.”

Jay asked her how many pairs of shoes she had, and she said less than 100, and less than 90 when Jay asked about that, but he didn’t really narrow it down to exactly how many pairs. She said “they’re all organized by maker… like the Manolos are in one place.”

She said she has a built-in ladder in her closet, but that it’s not her dream closet, and she made a reference to the moving closet in the 1987 movie “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn that was completely lost on the audience and she kind of went on about it.

On doing her own stunts for “Speed Racer”
Ricci said she learned karate, did a lot of cartwheeling and learned how to pick up a gun mid-cartwheel “which was the best moment of my life.”

Jay asked her to do a cartwheel and she said she would if she wasn’t wearing a short skirt. She bragged that she can do one arm pullups and pushups, “and that’s pretty impressive.”

Ricci didn’t give the impression of an experienced movie star or even someone that’s comfortable being famous. She seems more like an average person who happens to act and finds the whole press process new and a little intimidating. I was surprised and came away with a much different opinion of her, like she’s not a fake person at all.

The NY Post notes today that Ricci left the Costume Institute Gala celebration right after she learned that Anna Wintour neglected to seat her next to her boyfriend, Kick Gurry. It’s possible she also felt intimated being in a room full of people she barely knew. It’s a shame because her dress was amazing.

Thanks to WENN for this photo of Ricci at The Costume Institute Gala.

Here’s the video:

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24 Responses to “Nervous Christina Ricci has an awkward interview on the Tonight Show”

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  1. bros says:

    probably doesnt help that Jay is one of the worst interviewers around. he is so awkward himself tht it just compounds the problem. if this had been letterman, he would have put her at ease quicker and asked better questions. the majority of jay’s interviews come off stilted, stupid and awkward.

  2. Sasha says:

    Love me some Ricci !!Especially after The Headless Horseman movie. I miss her little chubby cheeks. She looked better a bit thicker.

  3. Larissa says:

    she is totally great!!!!

  4. sandy says:

    her career will not be going far with that performance

  5. summertime921 says:

    I’m glad to know someone else is as anal as me when it comes to cleaning and organizing 🙂

  6. elisha says:

    Love her, I have since the 90s (what happened to other girls from her era like Gabby Hoffman, Thora Birch, and Ana Chlumsky? Thora’s the only one who’s been in anything recent.) It’s even better she made an Overboard reference!

  7. geronimo says:

    Sandy – Most people who like her, and know how good an actress she is, are hardly going to judge her on her performance in a not terribly professional interview with a not very skilled interviewer.

    I love this girl, love her, she’s so uncompromising and unwilling to be anything other than herself. And what a fab pic, CB. She looks amazing.

  8. lulu says:

    she doesn’t look that nervous to me. i think she just has a quirky kind of personality.

  9. headache says:

    Why should we care about a bad interview?

    There are chicks out there getting DUI’s and forgetting they locked their new dog in a closet before going out of town and yet they still have fans.

    Christina Ricci will have a very long career. The fact that she has successfully transitioned from child star to adult in many different genres of film can’t be undone by one nervous interview.

  10. Starla says:

    She is so cute, I thought she did really well. I loved her Overboard reference, too, elisha. Goldie Hawn is hilarious in it. Very cool closet.

  11. Jag says:

    lol I love that she referenced Overboard. That closet was fabulous, even though it wasn’t cedar. (grin)

    As for her dress, I’m just not loving it. She looks wonderful, but it’s something about the contrast between the red part and the pink that I’m not liking; if it were all pink and flowy, like the bottom, it would be prettier.

  12. I choose me says:

    I’ve had a girl crush on Christina since the Addams Family and I really like the longer version of the helmet hair.

    Favourite Addams Family quotes:

    Wednesday: I don’t want to be in the pageant.
    Gary: Don’t you want me to realize my vision?
    Wednesday: Your work is puerile and under-dramatized. You lack any sense of structure, character, or the Aristotelian unities.

    [as an Indian, ad-libbing during a Thanksgiving play]
    Wednesday: Wait, we can not break bread with you. You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play golf, and eat hot h’ors d’ourves. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims, especially Sarah Miller. And for all of these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground.

  13. masquedance says:

    I absolutely love Christina and thought her dress was amazing!! She seems like an actress who can do the quirky character types very well in addition to more dramatic roles like her former co-star Johnny Depp.

  14. spooge says:

    Don’t know what interview you were watching but she seemed fine to me. Maybe a little nervous but not uncomfortable by any means. Looked amazing too.

    Now the lady before here with the animals…. man she was annoying. Talk about a loud blabber mouth.
    I had keep hitting the mute button just to give my ears a rest.

  15. Kevin says:

    Nicole Kidman could take some lessons from Christine on how to hide massive forehead.

  16. lanette says:

    she is very cool and that dress was too fly!!!
    i have seen worse interviews…this was ok 2 me..

  17. kate says:

    she bores me to tears.

  18. Because I say So says:

    I LUV her! I was blown away by her performance in Black Snake Moan. I always knew she was a fabulous actress but that really sealed the deal for me! She can do no wrong, just like the very lovely Mr Depp 😀

  19. Michelle says:

    I love her and have since Addams family. She is awesome. Long Live Christina Ricci!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

  20. stellapurdy says:

    I like her but she looks like skelator

  21. I think she is terrible, horrible actress, and her face is super weird.

  22. Bodhi says:

    I heart Charlie Pace~ You are so so wrong.

    My favorite Adams’ Family quote is from the 1st movie. Theone about Girl Scout cookies being made from real Girl Scouts! 😆

  23. ADD says:

    She needs to cover that forehead and EAT SOMETHING! She looks like the skeleton of a kewpie doll.

    PS That dress is hideous. An ugly 1950s bathing suit under a sheer covering.

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