Dan Bucatinsky speaks at Christina Ricci's Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony

Variety

Transcript

00:00I have to read or I'll cry. That's how it works. If I don't read, I cry. Oh my gosh.

00:06What an honor and what a thrill it is, Christina, to be here to celebrate you

00:11as you're honored with the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So deserving given the

00:20remarkable journey that you have been on since you were a kid.

00:24You've always been truly extraordinary, one-of-a-kind talent, not to mention a fabulous,

00:29beautiful, funny, smart, and inspiring friend. It seems like only yesterday when I met Christina,

00:35she was just 17 at the time. I was merely 17 years older than she was, and weirdly,

00:40now we're the same age. As you heard from her credits, Christina grew up fast as a kid working

00:46in this business. Films like Mermaids, like you heard, Casper, Addams Family. Later, she made

00:51quite a mark on the world when she starred in first Ang Lee's Ice Storm and then my husband

00:55Don Roose's directorial debut, The Opposite of Sex.

01:02What you don't know is that after we wrapped, she was supposed to head back to New York.

01:06Instead, she called Sarah, her mom. She said, I'm staying with Dan and Don.

01:12It was the first we'd heard about it, but we were delighted to take in this pint-sized,

01:16sophisticated movie star, delighted and terrified. She was so much more grown up than we were.

01:23We had a room for her, and like any typical teen, it was a mess, but movie star mess,

01:28so what were we going to say? Strewn on the bed in the closets were elements of couture,

01:33even a feather bow, I recall, because I squealed audibly. All these looks from photo shoots and

01:39fashion shows, yes, from a very early age, Christina has been a fashionista, a staple

01:44at International Fashion Weeks, wearing designers from A to Z, Armani to Zac Posen,

01:49and everything in between, all clothes that apparently didn't need to be hung up,

01:55just tossed, stuffed under the bed, sometimes used to mop up a spill,

02:00not so thoughtful, as it turns out, to make two gay guys have to look at that.

02:05Christina and I shared some really, really good times, hotels in London, Venice, when the movie

02:10opened at festivals, then here in town, we would go out to lunch like three days a week, hours

02:15spent talking and gossiping, bitching, smoking, maybe sharing a glass of champagne, nobody cards

02:21a movie star, no one cards me either, so I told you, we're the same age, then back at home, we

02:27would sit at the edge of her bed, enraptured as she'd pick out outfits, then we'd go out to eat,

02:32and Christina, I don't know if you remember this, you'd always order the most expensive steaks,

02:36and then you'd cut the fat right off of them, good for you, we would think, so mindful of

02:41nutrition at such a young age, but she'd just eat the fat and leave the meat untouched,

02:47meat is gross, she would say, it was movie star logic, so of course we agreed,

02:53after one particular photo shoot at our house, I remember a pair of shoes,

02:58boots really, that were kind of awesome, and Christina, you didn't want them,

03:02or at least that's what I told myself,

03:04I told myself, she did not want these boots for the past 25 years,

03:17and I didn't, I haven't not tried them on, I mean, that's for sure, this is what happens,

03:22young lady, when you leave your clothes on the floor, there are other things of yours as well,

03:27which I will not embarrass you with, Christina stayed with us for a little over three months,

03:32and really became like family, the Addams family, where Don and I were the monsters,

03:37and she was the blonde Wednesday, in fact, I remember sitting on the couch one night with

03:40Don watching Christina on Letterman, blissfully describing that she's now been living with Don

03:45and Dan, and a baffled Letterman gave her a look as if to say, what kind of gay gardens

03:51nightmare theme park is that, blink twice if you want us to rescue you,

03:56okay, it was a unique bond that Christina and I had, part parental, part peer,

04:02I guess closer to brother and sister, so I'm so honored to celebrate you today,

04:07but what we're celebrating today is not just Christina's professional achievements,

04:11having commanded the respective industry legends for decades, as a remarkable actor, producer,

04:17yes, from your iconic childhood roles, but then all the later ones too, like that

04:22beautiful performance Patty talked about in Monster, brilliantly directed, you always bring

04:27sardonic wit and sophistication, smarts and edge to your roles, and the same now playing Misty on

04:33all three seasons of Yellow Jackets, but beyond that, Christina is a super creative and innovative

04:39artist, have you seen her deck of tarot cards, cat full of spiders, Christina, you can do it all,

04:45while carrying with you the essence of that spirited young girl we all fell in love with,

04:50you possess that unique ability to bring joy, laughter, and an impish energy that lights up

04:55a room, and now how gracefully you've integrated your love and attention to your beautiful family

05:00with Mark, and those gorgeous kids Freddie and Cleo, Christina, we are so honored to share this

05:06momentous occasion with you, and I wanted you to know that today in honor, I am wearing this

05:11gorgeous suit I've loved for almost 25 years, I didn't steal it from her, friends, I know that's

05:16what you were thinking, she bought it for me, I treasure it as a memento of that magical time

05:21when you were just 20 years old, insisted on taking me to Gucci on Rodeo Drive for a shopping

05:27spree, you directed the sales team to fit me with this suit, a tie, a pair of shoes, all for my big

05:33premiere of my first film, All Over the Guy, in which you graciously, and I'm so proud of you,

05:38the guy, in which you graciously and fittingly agreed to play my younger sister,

05:44you knew how exciting and important it was to me, and you wanted me to feel special,

05:49I did feel special, almost as special as I feel today when I think 25 years later, it still fits,

05:57yes, with Spanx, three pairs, but that's not the point, people, the point is Christina herself,

06:04like this suit, is timeless, she doesn't age, so Christina, to me, you'll always be like my

06:09little sister, who knows more, knows better, how to get by in life, by seeing the truth,

06:15speaking the truth, and knowing when to laugh about it, and when to flip it off, Christina,

06:20I've always and will always love you, and while we may walk by and marvel at your star on the

06:25Hollywood Walk of Fame, the real star is you, it comes from inside of you, I know you're thinking,

06:31ew, gross, but it's true, and it's a light so bright, it shines on all of us who have the

06:37privilege to know you and to love you on screen and off, I love you, thank you, these are mine now.

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