Trivia: The role of Angela Hayes was offered to Kirsten Dunst, who turned it down.
Trivia: Jessica Biel was originally cast as Jane Burnham but had to drop out due to conflicts with "7th Heaven" producer Aaron Spelling. The part then went to Thora Birch.
Trivia: Before Kevin Spacey was cast as Lester, Tom Hanks and Chevy Chase were both offered the role.
Trivia: When Lester throws the asparagus during the dinner scene, he was meant to throw it to the floor. The stunned reactions of Annette Bening and Thora Birch are real.
Trivia: Kevin Spacey improvised everything he did in the car when Lester is stoned and singing "American Woman."
Answer: There's no mention that he had a mental disorder. He likely suffers from the emotional abuse his father inflicted on him throughout his entire childhood, which included sending Ricky to a military academy and forcibly committing him to a psychiatric facility (for unknown reasons). This probably contributed to Ricky's later eccentric behavior and drug use.
raywest ★