‘Yellowjackets’ Star Christina Ricci Relates to Misty’s Desire to Kill
In a recent interview, actor Christina Ricci said she relates to her Yellowjackets character, Misty, and even admires her. Yellowjackets debuted last year and quickly became one of Showtime’s most successful series, second only to Dexter: New Blood. The TV show has also been called one of the best of the year and has created a deafening Emmy buzz, with a slew of expected nominations for the large cast, including Ricci.
What is ‘Yellowjackets’ about?
Debuting in November of 2021, Showtime’s Yellowjackets quickly became a hit for the streamer. The series is equal parts drama, mystery, and horror with a healthy dose of teenage coming-of-age angst and survival story.
Viewers see the story unfold in two timelines. The first follows high school soccer players — the Yellowjackets — in 1996 as they prepare for nationals. When the team’s plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, the students must do things they never thought themselves capable of in an effort to survive. The other timeline follows the four adult survivors as their past comes back to haunt them.
Who is Misty on ‘Yellowjackets,’ and what did Christina Ricci say about the character?
The Yellowjackets’ equipment manager, young Misty (played by Samantha Hanratty) is an outcast, on the team and in life. Often made fun of by the players, Misty takes a wild turn when the team’s plane crashes and her first-aid skills make her valuable to her peers for the first time. After smashing the plane’s flight recorder to discourage the team’s rescue, the teenage Misty both helps and hinders her fellow survivors, desperately capitalizing on her new importance.
Christina Ricci plays adult Misty, who now works in a nursing home. Though she is no longer desperate for attention and validation, Misty is still unpredictable and ruthless. In the Yellowjackets Season 1 finale, Ricci’s Misty injects fake reporter Jessica’s cigarettes with fentanyl, poisoning her and likely killing her.
Speaking with Variety, Ricci gushes about Yellowjackets’ Misty: “I just love that she’s like, ‘F*** it. No one is ever going to give me anything. I’m gonna have a great time in this life. I’m gonna do whatever I want to, and screw you.’”
Ricci, who claims typical Hollywood parts never suited her, seems to revel in her character’s sociopathic quirkiness: “She’s having the best time. Everyone else is having a bad time. She’s like, ‘I don’t know what your problem is!’”
But Ricci also relates to the killer instinct of Yellowjackets’ Misty. “I have felt extreme feelings of wanting to kill someone, but I never would because I’m sane. But I can take that crazy feeling that I had and just imagine not having any sanity, and then it works,” Ricci tells Variety.
“I love playing characters like this because they’re so different from who I am as a human being,” Ricci adds. “So I think when something’s far from you, it’s easier to go there.”
The ‘Yellowjackets’ Emmy dilemma
With the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards show approaching in September, Showtime’s Yellowjackets is among the buzziest series of the year. However, the show faces a dilemma: Featuring so many outstanding performances, Yellowjackets need not worry about gaining nods, but how to manage the slew of nominations it’ll likely earn? With both the adult and teen performances being award-worthy, it comes down to organization.
As such, Ricci’s Misty has recently been recategorized for the 2022 Emmys and will run as a supporting actress. That change will likely put Melanie Lynskey (who plays adult Shauna) in the race for lead actress. However, it seems unlikely that the two actors will be alone in their categories because the series boasts many award-worthy performances, including (but not limited to) Juliette Lewis’ Natalie.
