Christina Ricci

• Defining early role: Played Wednesday Addams in Barry Sonnenfeld's The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993) - the characterization her biographical sources treat as her signature early role and the reason her Wednesday (2022) casting was framed as a return to the franchise.
• Emmy nomination: Nominated for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for playing Misty Quigley in Showtime's Yellowjackets (2021-present).
• Emmy nomination: Nominated for the 2006 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her guest arc on Grey's Anatomy (Hannah Davies, 2 episodes).
• Golden Globe nomination: Golden Globe nominations include Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for The Opposite of Sex (1999) and a supporting-actress nod for Yellowjackets, per her biographical credits.
• Return to the Addams franchise: In March 2022 her casting in Tim Burton's Netflix series Wednesday was announced; she appeared as series regular Marilyn Thornhill, a botanical science teacher at Nevermore Academy - a new character, not a reprise of her 1990s Wednesday.
• Franchise legacy validation (Phase 2 append): The 1991-1993 Wednesday Addams characterization functions as the franchise's reference point: her Wednesday (2022) casting was framed by biographical sources as a return to the Addams universe, and Season 2 coverage treats the teacher role as a deliberate inversion - NPR noting she is 'embodying a different role than when she played Wednesday on the big screen' and The Independent calling her season one's unmasked mastermind.

Performance style

• Maniacal-teacher turn in Wednesday — The Independent's Season 2 review refers to 'Christina Ricci's maniacal teacher' in its Season 1 recap, and NPR's David Bianculli notes she is 'embodying a different role than when she played Wednesday on the big screen' - the reviews treat the part as a deliberate inversion of her franchise legacy.
• Expressive, eyes-led acting — Her Wikipedia biography quotes a review of Monstrous (2022): 'her natural gift is her ability to act with her eyes; a single glance, a slight twitch, or a dead-on stare do more to communicate [her character's] feelings and situation than any piece of dialogue in the script.'

Reception

• Yellowjackets (2021-present): Emmy-nominated turn as Misty Quigley (2022, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series); Digital Spy's Gabriella Geisinger, quoted in her biography, called the performance 'nuanced and dynamic', writing that it 'winds sadness and strength together with ease and is as captivating as it is bananas'.
• Wednesday Season 1 (2022) and Season 2 (2025): Her Thornhill/Laurel Gates reveal anchors Season 1's ending - The Independent's Season 2 review frames her exit from the Nevermore teacher role ('Ricci, unmasked as season one's evil mastermind') as making way for a new teacher; the Times of India lists her among the familiar threats who return at Willow Hill in Season 2.
• The Addams Family (1991) / Addams Family Values (1993): Franchise-legacy baseline: both biographical sources treat the 1990s Wednesday Addams as her signature early role; the characterization is the yardstick against which the 2022 series' casting discourse was framed, and NPR's Season 2 segment explicitly measures her new part against 'when she played Wednesday on the big screen'.

Cast they appear alongside

• Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams (Wednesday) — The new Wednesday; Ricci played the character in the 1991-1993 films, and her casting connects the series to the franchise's earlier era.
• Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair (Wednesday) — Wednesday's roommate, within Thornhill's teacher oversight.
• Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin (Wednesday) — Her character's Hyde instrument in Season 1's conspiracy.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams (Wednesday) — Plays Wednesday's mother.
• Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams (Wednesday) — Plays Wednesday's father.
• Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin (Wednesday) — Jericho's sheriff; part of the town-side ensemble around the Season 1 conspiracy.
• Melanie Lynskey as Shauna (adult) (Yellowjackets) — Her biography lists Lynskey among the four adult survivors 'played by Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, and Juliette Lewis'. Character name per general series context - flagged light.
• Juliette Lewis as Natalie (adult) (Yellowjackets) — Named alongside Ricci in the series' four-lead structure per her biography; the Awards Focus interview discusses Ricci's final scenes with Lewis' character. Character name per general series context - flagged light.

Who plays Marilyn Thornhill in Wednesday?

Christina Ricci, the actress who played Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993), plays Marilyn Thornhill, a botanical science teacher at Nevermore Academy, in the Netflix series.

Did Christina Ricci play Wednesday Addams before Wednesday (2022)?

Yes. She played Wednesday Addams in Barry Sonnenfeld's two 1990s Addams Family films; in the Netflix series she appears as a new character rather than reprising the role.

Is Marilyn Thornhill a villain in Wednesday?

Yes - the Season 1 finale reveals Thornhill's true identity as Laurel Gates, the season's hidden mastermind; the Season 2 coverage in The Independent and The Times of India both treat her unmasking as the season's pivotal reveal.

Has Christina Ricci been nominated for an Emmy?

Twice: for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Grey's Anatomy (2006) and for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for playing Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets (2022).

Does Christina Ricci return in Wednesday Season 2?

Her Season 1 teacher role ends with the unmasking, and Season 2 coverage is split in emphasis: the Times of India lists Laurel Gates among the familiar threats who return at Willow Hill, while The Independent frames her exit as making way for a new teacher. The entity records the exact scope of her Season 2 return as awaiting verification.

What has Christina Ricci been in between the 1990s Addams Family films and Wednesday?

Her filmography spans four decades: Casper (1995), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Monster (2003), Speed Racer (2008), and The Matrix Resurrections (2021) on film, plus TV arcs including Grey's Anatomy (2006, Emmy-nominated), The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), and her Emmy-nominated lead turn as Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets (2021-present).

• Wednesday — show hub
• Wednesday cast guide
• All Actors & Cast
• Adam Scott
• Billie Piper
• Britt Lower
• Catherine Zeta-Jones
• Christopher Walken
• Dichen Lachman
• Emma D'Arcy
• Emma Myers
• Evie Templeton
• Fred Armisen
• Georgie Farmer
• Gwendoline Christie
• Hunter Doohan
• Isaac Ordonez
• Jamie McShane
• Jen Tullock
• Jenna Ortega
• Joanna Lumley
• John Turturro
• Joy Sunday
• Justin Hartley
• Luis Guzman
• Moosa Mostafa
• Patricia Arquette
• Percy Hynes White
• Riki Lindhome
• Sarah Bock
• Steve Buscemi
• Thandiwe Newton
• Tramell Tillman
• Victor Dorobantu
• Zach Cherry