Christina Ricci Recalls “Threatening” Interactions With Paparazzi | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I know that I have this long-distance. view of it. You just seem to have. handled fame at a young age in sort of a. very classy way and that's at least how. it appears to me. I've actually thought. I've thought about this a lot, which is. I'm not a big drug person, meaning. really not at all, but I've long held. that probably the most powerful drug in. the world is fame. and letting kids have.

access to it is very I I have very mixed. feelings about it. It's such a powerful. thing and it often doesn't go well. You. being famous at 14, 15, 16, that's got. to have been something to navigate. Yeah. I don't think I always had uh a. lot of uh objectivity or the ability to. really um analyze myself at those times, those younger ages. Mhm. Um, so I never. really felt famous. Um, I still I still.

forget a lot and I was never really. comfortable with it. So for me it was. didn't feel like power. It sort of felt. like something I had to like navigate. Like when I lived I um used to live over. uh in Los in the oaks and I would drive. around when I was like in my 20s and I. was you know I'm a small person and so. being a young woman very small and. having people follow me or talk to. strangers approach me and stuff felt. very threatening at the time. So I did.

this me I played this mental game where. I pretended that my dad was just this. like doctor that everybody loved in town. and I was just like ah Dr. Riichi's. daughter and that's why everybody was. being nice to me but not that I was. famous. Um and that everybody just like. really wished me well. We and it worked. It worked. I became very comfortable but. then to the point where like I was I. didn't have my guard up enough and I had. to be like well we have to end that now. Yeah. So uh the paparazzi thing did that. freak you out? not enjoy that just.

because people they they'll follow you. all the way home and I lived by myself. and that felt very threatening and I. found there was a liquor store on the. corner of Victor's um that's right. across the street from the Gellison's. over on um up there and uh Rick was this. guy who was who always worked in there. and he's always smoking a cigarette and. he he's the only person I would ever let. call me Chris and I if anyone ever. followed me I'd pull into the liquor. store and I'd go tell Rick and Rick. would come out and chase them chase them. off so I drive home. Mhm. And then this.

one and then one time my sister and I. lived together uh in our my our 20s and. um there was actually a man that would. come and sit outside the house and leave. notes on my car and stuff and sometimes. we'd be like ready to go to dinner but. he'd be out there waiting and we'd be. like a man. So we would just like turn. off all the lights and wait until he. left. That's not good. No, but like so. so fame was like it was great. like I. get into any restaurant and I never had.

problems getting into clubs and all that. stuff, but it also was a like there were. just like, you know, logistical. insecurity issues that um to me loomed. larger in my mind than the actual like. fun of being famous. Well, I also think. this is something that I don't take into. account, which is I am very uh I don't. ever feel threatened physically by. people around because I'm 6'4 and a guy. and I just don't even think about it.

I'm very physical myself, meaning like I. don't I'm I'm not afraid to um shake. hands with strangers or whatever. mix it. up a little bit. But I'm constantly. reminded that. um if you're not my size and if you're a. woman, especially if you're a young. woman, it's a completely different. feeling when people are around and it's.

not welcome and it's probably sets off. all kinds of different alarms, whatever. Well, I think it it just depends, you. know. But yeah, I was uh I felt I did. feel threatened a lot and I still am a. person who's very paranoid and safety. conscious. So I still will feel a little. threatened if if a strange man walks up. to me and like touches me or starts just. I don't know follow follows me to my. car. I don't like that you missed me. when I came in to say hello to you at. the podcast.

and you kept doing and then your. publicist said it's Conan and you said. oh I know. And then you took out a. separate bottle. Oh no. Yeah, that said. extra strength and you really went to. town. What the was that all about?