Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis were some of the most recognizable faces in film throughout the ’90s and early ’00s. They were arthouse darlings known for playing off-beat and unusual characters. In their critically acclaimed Showtime series, Yellowjackets, the two finally got a chance to work together. In a recent interview, the beloved actresses reveal what they would have done differently during their rise to fame.
‘Honestly, I Regret So Much’
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the stars of Yellowjackets are getting frank about regrets. The main four cast members—Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci—were all in their teens or early twenties in the ’90s. According to the actresses, if they had a time machine, they’d do some things differently.
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“This is very dark, but I would just like to go back to that age and do it over again and not make so many f*cking mistakes. Honestly, I regret so much,” Ricci admits.
“Me too. One thousand percent,” Cypress agrees.
“Me too,” Lewis chimes in.
That’s when Ricci reveals she’d like a total do-over. The former child actor landed her breakout role at just ten years old playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. From that point on, Ricci was fully immersed in the industry. She’s consistently landed prominent roles in film and TV ever since—but the Casper star alludes that her rise to fame was far more tumultuous than anyone realized.
Lewis’ career followed a similar trajectory. At 17 years old, Lewis won over critics with her turn in Cape Fear. From there on out, there was no avoiding the enigmatic actress. Similar to Ricci, she often gravitated towards complex, often dark characters. Her most memorable role, for better or for worse, was as a young criminal in the controversial Natural Born Killers.
‘Yellowjackets’ Stars Embrace Regret
“I’d like to go back to 1996 and be like, ‘All right…we had a practice run. It went OK, but it wasn’t really as great as we wanted it to be. We’re going to do this again.’ People who are like, ‘I have no regrets.’ What f*cking magic life did you live?” Ricci remarks.
“Where they go, ‘I don’t regret anything because that led up to this moment.’ Really? The thing that could’ve put my dad in an early grave, I f*cking regret it. Yes. I was very scary as a young teenage person,” Lewis adds.
Tawny Cypress also details something she’d change if given the chance. The Blacklist star recalls abandoning an old friend in a time of hardship during her teenage years.
“I would definitely do so many things differently,” Cypress reveals.
“I think people without regrets are narcissists. I think they’re lying to themselves,” Lynskey notes.
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“Denial is the only way to get up that river,” Ricci poignantly observes.
The actresses’ takes are morbidly refreshing. Sometimes it can be a relief to admit that you’ve made mistakes. It’s okay to want to change the past—as futile as that desire is. However, in a way, it has the potential to make us better.
Regret and failure are their own unappreciated strengths. They teach us to be more thoughtful in the future, so as not to repeat the past. If these remarkable women—beautiful, talented, and successful—have regrets, then we shouldn’t feel guilty for having them either.