Q&A: Christina Ricci on the Heroism of Writer Nellie Bly
By: Robert Kahn
In "Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story," actress Christina Ricci steps into the shoes of trailblazing 19th century reporter Nellie Bly. Bly—who would later be celebrated for a record-setting trip around the world—first left a mark on investigative journalism going undercover as a patient at the New York City Lunatic Asylum on what was then known as Blackwell's Island, in the middle of the East River.
Her exposé of conditions at the asylum were documented in stories for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and collected in Bly's book, "Ten Days in a Mad-House," which led to unprecedented reforms in treatment of the mentally ill. Lifetime veteran Ricci also executive produces the fictionalized account of Bly's stay, co-starring Judith Light as a barbaric head nurse. She spoke with us about her admiration for the barrier-breaking writer.
Nellie Bly began her career as a teen, writing "women's features" for a Pittsburgh newspaper, but it wasn't long before she was yearning for work being done predominantly by men at the time.
She was a groundbreaking figure in that she was very driven—she asked for permission, but she didn't necessarily wait for permission. She took her own initiative and did something that was completely unexpected of her. I would imagine she was told not to a million times. So yes, for somebody to be so bold and so ambitious—and, at the time, to be female—is pretty amazing.
History says Nellie Bly didn't have a hard time getting admitted to the asylum… but neither she nor her editors at the World had a plan for how she would get out.
I think she deeply underestimated how powerless she would be once she was in that asylum. It's difficult to understand somebody taking away your ability to leave a hospital. She was someone who didn't realize how much she could have taken from her. …Otherwise, there would have been a more concrete plan for her escape.
What kind of research did you do to prepare for the part?
I read "10 Days in a Mad-House," and some of (Bly's) other writing, as well as discovering what there is to be known about her life. … I've always been fascinated by the buildings that were on Roosevelt Island, since I grew up in the Tri-State Area. That whole world…just the idea that from the shores of the city, you could see this island that no one was allowed to leave. There's something really mythic about that.
A journalist "keeps herself out of the mix," Judith Light's Matron Grady says, during a confrontation with Nellie once her true identity is discovered. Did you ever aspire to a career in journalism?
No. I've been a fairly well-known person since I was a child, being interviewed by panels or tables of journalists, so I have my own relationship to fame and the press—which I don't think relates to the general public's opinion of fame and the press. Having grown up as someone who was being interviewed—and may have felt I had no choice but to answer questions the way (a reporter) wanted—my relationship with that whole world … I don't think it's going to be your average person's impression of journalism.
What part of Nellie's life in the asylum were you most stunned to learn about?
I was horrified to learn (she was kept in) ankle shackles. Imagining that kind of pain, day in day and day out, is really atrocious. That had a lot of impact for me.
Let's talk about Judith Light. Matron Grady does unspeakably horrible things in the course of the film, but by the end the audience may come to understand how she became such a tyrant.
The reason Nurse Grady is so interesting and multifaceted—and sympathetic, when she really shouldn't be—is because Judith is an incredible actress. She gave her part more depth than was necessarily handed to her. All the scenes we did together were really electrified with emotion and vulnerability.
What did this whole experience leave you feeling about Nellie Bly?
I walked away thinking this is someone who was very strong, both emotionally and physically—to endure what she endured. It's a remarkable story of somebody putting herself right in the fire, and then realizing what she got herself into and desperately trying to get herself out of it. And the fact she does get out is such an accomplishment… and then the telling of the story is what led to drastic changes in the caring for and welfare of the mentally ill. That is incredible. It's a piece of history, and it's important for us to be aware of the changes that were made and why they were made as we go about trying to change our world now.
In the immediate wake of Bly's 1887 articles and book, New York City committed an extra million dollars to the asylum's budget to correct the abuses she exposed. Is it safe to say you see her as heroic?
For sure. And, I view her as a survivor. And to me, that is extremely noble. That's something that draws me to characters, and to people. Certainly, she's a hero in that she took everything that happened to her and made real change occur.
Now you've embodied both Nellie Bly and Lizzie Borden on TV, which covers quite a spectrum. Are there other women whose lives you'd like a chance to portray?
I've always envisioned—when I'm older—doing a "Lion in Winter" remake, and playing Eleanor of Aquitaine. And also, I really love (magazine editor) Diana Vreeland's story and have always thought that would be an incredible movie to make. She was a very dramatic, colorful fashion icon.
You're drawn to her eccentricity?
Oh yeah. People make huge changes and impacts in all different areas—fashion, journalism, crime. Those changes contribute to history and the zeitgeist…and someone who changes the face of fashion is just as interesting as someone who changes the face of a different area.