'Chasing Life': Italia Ricci Breaks Down the Holiday Episode Wig by Wig
As you wipe those tears that came steadily during the final moments of the Chasing Life holiday special, know this: April Carver will live to see another day.
Leo, on the other hand, is a toss-up.
We caught up with star Italia Ricci after watching the episode and thanked her kindly and oh-so-sarcastically for the total 360 on the Leo cliffhanger. After all, the season finale ended with him leaving a mysterious voicemail, and this installment concluded with him on the operating table having possible complications.
“That’s the fun of it, mwah ha ha ha,” Ricci cackles. “At least you don’t have to wait long.”
Sadly, that was about all she could offer on the future of her love interest, but she did break down the moving hair progression that took place throughout the episode.
“The first one, with the glam, old Hollywood [style], that was my actual hair. I kept getting so mad when they would come and paint the bags under my eyes. I was like, ‘No! It’s so pretty! Don’t ruin it!’ I loved that. I thought it was so glamorous and pretty and I loved that it was my own hair.”
“The blond wig was something I would never do to myself, so I was like, ‘Oh, this is so edgy and badass!’ I actually kept that wig. I haven’t worn it yet, but I just have it in case I feel like doing it one day. I don’t know how I would.”
“The short one reminded me of Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell in Hook. I just kind of bounced around and found myself talking so much more with my head and just being goofier and a little bit more spunky. That one made me a way cooler person. I had fun with all of them.”
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"When I looked in the mirror, it’s sort of like the bald cap did my job for me. I felt the stakes get higher and the reality of the situation feel heavier for April. It helped me.
"While shooting the show, once we got into the thick of the illness, I had already felt guilty coming home and being able to not have cancer on the weekends, to know that I can turn it off,” she continues. “Having the bald cap just took that to a whole other level because now it’s even more physical. You can see that I can take it off now. It’s not on my head anymore. I can physically take this off and so many people can’t do that. So it brought almost a phantom survivor guilt to me that I was able to do that and they weren’t. That was the really, really difficult part of the bald cap.”
Ricci, who has been named an ambassador for Stand Up 2 Cancer, was also quick to point out a little guest star in the Episode: 2-year-old Sophie Ryan. “She’s fighting brain cancer and kicking its ass,” she gushes. “You see her in the hallway when Brenna and I are handing out candy canes and she’s in her mom’s arms. She is just so sweet. I hope that becomes a tradition — every special, we’ll try and get a real little fighter in there.”
When Chasing Life returns in the new year, a bit of time will have passed and everyone will be trying to get back to some semblance of a normal life. Ricci promises she’ll be back in the newsroom… with Dominic.
“They work together so they’re sort of going to be forced to be in uncomfortable situations together,” she says.
We’ll also be getting a little more time with April and Brenna’s surprise half-sister, Natalie. “You’re going to love her and you’re going to hate her and you’re going to love her and you’re going to hate her,” Ricci teases. “I still don’t know what I feel right now.”
Chasing Life returns on Jan.19 at 9 p.m. on ABC Family.
