Christina Ricci is well aware of how much her fans love Casper — but she is not a fan of the 1995 Universal Pictures movie.
The actress was a recent guest on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, where she talked about her career, which began when she was a child. After explaining how she got into the industry, Ricci and Maron arrived at two of her early classics: The Addams Family and Casper.
Ricci, 42, wasted no time singling out Casper as not one of her favorite films — not because she thinks it is a bad film, Ricci just thinks she is bad in the movie.
"If you actually watch Casper, I'm terrible," Ricci told Maron. "People get so upset when I say that. And I'm like, 'No, it's a wonderful movie. It's a childhood treasure. But I am terrible in it.'"
Ricci was 13 years old when she was cast in the supernatural comedy-drama, based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Ricci starred alongside Bill Pullman, who played her father, paranormal therapist James Harvey. Malachi Pearson was the voice of the Casper McFadden CGI ghost and Devon Sawa portrayed his human form.
For many of her fans — especially kids of the '90s — the film is a classic and a Halloween tradition. But, Ricci said she just can't shake her lack of effort in the role.
"There was a lot going on in my [life]," she explained.
"Everything was very difficult. I was always annoyed, and I just don't think I tried very hard, to tell you the truth. Embarrassingly, I don't think I tried as hard as maybe I should have."
Ricci recently re-watched the film when she showed it to her young son, Freddie Heerdegen, 8. Her feelings about her performance remain unchanged, she said.
"And I remember thinking, 'Wow. Okay. That was not a believable line-reading at all. Just no commitment.' "
