In the space of time it takes for one to realise that her career is on the verge of crashing at the first peak, it’s possible that many actresses and actors will have already professionally bitten the dust. It’s no surprise that those who’ve fallen prey to the pitfalls of the ever-fickle Hollywood parade have been child stars; however, those with the unfiltered passion to trudge through the mud have the ability to reinvent themselves and produce work that’s both memorable and challenging.

Such is the case with Christina Ricci.

Ricci’s rise to the top, no surprise, came in the form of her reprised role as Wednesday Addams in the Blockbuster-turned-cult classic film series, The Addams Family. It’s her precocious nature as a child actress and her ability to handle the black comedy of her character with a straight face that shocked and damn near frightened people.

At the age of 11, she delivered such lines as “Are those Girl Scout cookies made from real Girl Scouts?” without breaking a sweat or denigrating to the feats of giggling that other child stars can’t seem to suppress. She had a maturity that was astonishing and carried that bravado with her into adulthood.