An awkward interview
Christina Ricci was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote Speed Racer last night and she was visibly nervous and kind of blathering on at some points. Toward the end of the interview she warmed up when she was talking about her physical preparation for the role, but you can tell she’s not used to doing talk shows and that it was difficult for her. The interview was very awkward and I felt kind of sorry for her watching it.

On being scared of a bobcat in her neighborhood
She met a cougar that was on earlier with an animal handler and said she didn’t pet him when Jay asked about it because “that cougar could eat me.” She sounded kind of ditsy about it, and also said there’s a bobcat in her neighborhood and that she runs into the house from her car because “they eat people.”

On her press tour for “Speed Racer”
Ricci said it was her first worldwide film tour, and that she rode on a private jet for the first time along with the cast of the film. When Jay asked her if she’d done that kind of press junket before she said “I did big movies when I was a kid, but I never went on a private jet before.”

She said she won $70 playing blackjack on the jet and beat everyone.

On being a neat freak and cleaning other people’s houses
She said she has a packing list for when she travels and has to make sure she has all the items listed out ahead of time. As for dating men who are slobs, she says “I like when you don’t have to sanitize yourself after you go over to a man’s house. Some boys don’t really value clean [sic]”

Leno asked her if she was at someone’s house and their kitchen is messy would she clean it, and she said “I will and if I don’t really know the person I’ll kind of say ‘I’m not trying to be pushy or controlling or anything, but would you mind if I took that into the kitchen did did your dishes?'”

On her closet, with shoes organized by designer
“I have one room that’s all shoes and bags… it’s a small room.”

Jay asked her how many pairs of shoes she had, and she said less than 100, and less than 90 when Jay asked about that, but he didn’t really narrow it down to exactly how many pairs. She said “they’re all organized by maker… like the Manolos are in one place.”

She said she has a built-in ladder in her closet, but that it’s not her dream closet, and she made a reference to the moving closet in the 1987 movie “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn that was completely lost on the audience and she kind of went on about it.

On doing her own stunts for “Speed Racer”
Ricci said she learned karate, did a lot of cartwheeling and learned how to pick up a gun mid-cartwheel “which was the best moment of my life.”

Jay asked her to do a cartwheel and she said she would if she wasn’t wearing a short skirt. She bragged that she can do one arm pullups and pushups, “and that’s pretty impressive.”

Ricci didn’t give the impression of an experienced movie star or even someone that’s comfortable being famous. She seems more like an average person who happens to act and finds the whole press process new and a little intimidating. I was surprised and came away with a much different opinion of her, like she’s not a fake person at all.

The NY Post notes today that Ricci left the Costume Institute Gala celebration right after she learned that Anna Wintour neglected to seat her next to her boyfriend, Kick Gurry. It’s possible she also felt intimated being in a room full of people she barely knew. It’s a shame because her dress was amazing.

Thanks to WENN for this photo of Ricci at The Costume Institute Gala.

Here’s the video: