Christina Ricci brought a bit of Jazz Age glam to Wading River this morning while filming scenes for her Amazon series “Z: The Beginning of Everything.”
Ricci stars in the biographical show as Zelda Fitzgerald, the flapper and socialite wife of novelist F. Scott. The couple had Long Island connections, as they had a home in Great Neck and “The Great Gatsby” was, of course, set on the Gold Coast. But Wading River Historical Society and Civic Association president Sid Bail said he was not aware of any Wading River ties.
“[The show’s producers] probably just wanted atmosphere,” he said. “We’ve had famous people in the ’20s, people like Walter Lipmann and such, but [the Fitzgeralds] missed out.”
On Monday morning, Ricci was spotted in costume walking into a beach house on Creek Road (Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story erroneously referred to the street as Shore Road). The “Pan Am” star, 36, was seen holding a can of Diet Coke, which she was also spotted carrying while filming in New York City earlier this month.
A set staffer shielded the Golden Globe nominee from the sun with a large blue umbrella as her co-star David Hoflin walked nearby.
The cast and crew will be filming at other locations in Wading River today, according to an on-set source. Trailers were parked near Wading River Congregational Church, while Craft services were set up in the municipal lot by the Wading River Duck Ponds and on Shore Road. Riverhead Town Police put up a perimeter around the set.
One trailer was designated for the “water stunts coordinator,” so it’s safe to say some of the scenes will feature action on the Long Island Sound.
Amazon Prime subscribers can watch episode 1 here, though it’s unclear when additional episodes will stream.
This isn’t the first time the creators of a 1920s drama have filmed in the area. Steve Buscemi was on set in 2011 when Boardwalk Empire filmed in nearby Baiting Hollow.
