Christina Ricci draws on ''certain incidents'' from her youth for her work.

The 32-year-old beauty - who does not talk to her father following his divorce from her mother - likes to use her ''emotional memories'' to get into character but also thinks about adult experiences to do the same thing.

She said: ''I have a good relationship with my mother and I just don't like to talk about my father.

''How I was raised and the memories of certain incidents in my childhood - I bring those emotional memories to things I need to use at work. Definitely. But I also use things that happened to me as an adult in the same way.''

The 'Bel Ami' star is not upset by her unconventional upbringing as she believes everyone has stories from their past.

She added in an interview with Britain's Marie Claire magazine: ''I managed to be The Black Sheep of the family.

''I have an unconventional background but what's average these days? We're all interesting in our own ways.''