The Shocking Age Christina Ricci Was While Filming Tim Burton's 'Sleepy Hollow' (And Why It Matters Now)

Christina Ricci's portrayal of the enigmatic and strong-willed Katrina Anne Van Tassel in Tim Burton's 1999 gothic horror film, Sleepy Hollow, remains one of the most iconic roles of her early career. The film, a visually stunning adaptation of Washington Irving's classic tale, paired the young actress with superstar Johnny Depp and cemented her status as Hollywood's queen of the macabre. As of today, December 17, 2025, fans are often curious about just how young Ricci was when she took on the role of the beautiful, powerful heiress of the Dutch settlement.

The answer is striking: Christina Ricci was a mere 19 years old when Sleepy Hollow premiered on November 19, 1999. Born on February 12, 1980, she was barely a legal adult, yet already a seasoned veteran of the film industry. This youthful age is central to understanding the dynamic of the film, her character's on-screen romance, and the subsequent trajectory of her celebrated career, which now includes critically acclaimed hits like Yellowjackets and Wednesday.

Christina Ricci: A Complete Profile and Biography

Christina Ricci’s career began at an astonishingly young age, establishing her as one of the most recognizable and talented child stars of the 1990s. Her work in Sleepy Hollow marked a pivotal transition from child star to leading adult actress.

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• Full Name: Christina Ricci
• Date of Birth: February 12, 1980
• Place of Birth: Santa Monica, California, U.S.
• Age (as of Dec 2025): 45 years old
• Age During Sleepy Hollow Filming/Release: 19 years old
• Notable Early Films: Mermaids (1990), The Addams Family (1991), Casper (1995), The Ice Storm (1997), Buffalo '66 (1998), The Opposite of Sex (1998).
• Key Role in Sleepy Hollow: Katrina Anne Van Tassel
• Recent Acclaim: Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated for her role as Misty Quigley in the series Yellowjackets, and her role as Marilyn Thornhill in the Netflix hit Wednesday.

The 19-Year-Old Star and the Gothic Romance of Katrina Van Tassel

When Christina Ricci was cast as Katrina Van Tassel, she was already a known commodity, having earned critical praise for her work in darker, independent films. However, Sleepy Hollow was a major studio blockbuster, a lavish production directed by her frequent collaborator, Tim Burton.

The Age of Katrina Van Tassel vs. Christina Ricci’s Age

The character of Katrina Anne Van Tassel is depicted as the sole heiress of the town's most affluent family, the daughter of Baltus Van Tassel and stepdaughter of Lady Mary. While the film doesn't explicitly state her age, she is portrayed as a young woman of marriageable age in the late 18th century, generally understood to be around 18 years old in the context of the story.

Ricci’s age of 19 perfectly matched the youthful innocence and burgeoning strength of Katrina. She had to balance the character's ethereal, almost fairy-like qualities with an underlying resolve and an interest in the dark arts, which was a perfect fit for Ricci's established on-screen persona of playing "unusual characters with a dark edge."

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The Awkward Age Gap with Co-Star Johnny Depp

One of the most discussed aspects of the film's casting, especially in retrospect, is the significant age difference between the two leads. Christina Ricci (19) was paired with Johnny Depp (36), who played the nervous, scientifically-minded constable Ichabod Crane. The 17-year age gap between the romantic leads did not go unnoticed by critics and audiences.

Ricci herself has previously spoken about the discomfort of filming romantic scenes with Depp, whom she had known since she was a child actor on the set of films like Mermaids. The dynamic required her to transition from a young colleague to a romantic interest, a challenge that speaks to her professionalism at such a young age. Despite the off-screen awkwardness, their on-screen chemistry, framed by the film's gothic aesthetic, was undeniable and earned Ricci a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress in a Horror film.

The Legacy of Sleepy Hollow and Ricci’s Dark Aesthetic

More than two decades later, Sleepy Hollow is regarded as a masterpiece of gothic production design and a quintessential Tim Burton film. The film’s dark, desaturated palette, its massive, custom-built sets, and the perpetually misty atmosphere of the fictional 1799 New York hamlet all contributed to a unique and unforgettable cinematic experience.

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The Dark Set and Filming Experience

The entire village of Sleepy Hollow was constructed from scratch on a massive soundstage in England, allowing Burton to control every visual element, creating a world drenched in fog and shadow. Ricci’s character, Katrina, was the visual counterpoint to this darkness, often clad in lighter, more voluminous costumes that symbolized her connection to the spiritual and the magical elements of the story, contrasting with Ichabod Crane’s pragmatic nature.

Ricci later described the overall filming experience as "dark," a fitting description for a movie about the Headless Horseman and the secrets of the Van Tassel family. The film’s success proved that the 19-year-old actress was capable of leading a major horror-fantasy franchise, a genre she would return to repeatedly throughout her career.

From Katrina to Misty: The Full Circle of a Dark Career

The biggest reason the question of Ricci’s age in Sleepy Hollow remains relevant today is because of the incredible resurgence of her career in the 2020s. Her role as the psychopathic nurse Misty Quigley in the hit series Yellowjackets and her turn as the villainous teacher Marilyn Thornhill in Wednesday have brought her back into the cultural spotlight.

These recent, highly-praised roles are a direct continuation of the darkly-tinged characters she masterfully played as a teenager and young adult. Her performance as Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful girl with a hidden, mysterious side, laid the foundation for the complex, often sinister women she plays now. The 19-year-old star of Sleepy Hollow was not just an ingenue; she was an actress already honing the craft of portraying the unsettling and the unconventional, a legacy that continues to define her work today.