MovieChat Forums > Clueless (1995) Discussion > What the Hell Happened to Alicia Silvers...

What the Hell Happened to Alicia Silverstone?

posted 11 years ago by TMC-4
10 replies | jump to latest

http://lebeauleblog.com/2011/06/23/what-the-hell-happened-to-alicia-si lverstone/

Silverstone’s time as “the Aerosmith chick” lead to her being cast as Cher in Amy Heckerling’s Clueless in 1995.

Clueless was a modern retelling of Jane Austin’s Emma as a fizzy teenage comedy. It was smarter and funnier than it had any right to be. Many lines became catch-phrases of the 90′s and Silverstone became the “It” girl in Hollywood

Also in 1995, Silverstone appeared in the thrillers The Babysitter, Hideaway and the French film, The New World. The Babysitter was released direct-to-video to try to capitalize on the popularity of The Crush. Hideaway co-starred Jeff Goldblum and Jeremy Sisto (who also appeared in Clueless).

None of these movies had much of an impact, but it does show just how in-demand Silverstone was in the wake of the sexy Aerosmith videos.

Following Clueless, Silverston signed a three-picture deal with Columbia Tri-Star worth 10 million dollars. As part of the deal, Silverstone got her own production company, First Kiss Pictures. I point this out to stress just how powerful Silverstone was in Hollywood in 1995, because the fall is near.

[–] ItalianGreyhound 11 years ago

She's still working - mostly roles in smaller, independent films and TV. Unfortunately she became typecast as the ditzy blonde valley girl which led to similar roles in films like "The Babysitter" and "Excess Baggage" which were both critical and commercial failures. And of course the less said about her Batman role, the better. "Blast from the Past" was something a bit different for her, and did OK critically and box office wise, but it remains her last big role in a wide release film. She actually seems to have made a small-scale comeback recently, with roles in indie films like "Butter", "The Art of Getting By", and "Vamps".

[–] TMC-4 10 years ago

The Babysitter was, to the best of my knowledge, filmed long before Clueless. It was initially going to be released direct-to-video, but only given a brief theatrical run to cash in on Alicia Silverstone's new found popularity thanks to Clueless.

Alicia was the producer (through her short-lived production company w/ Columbia) of Excess Baggage. Thus, she had a lot of say in regards to what went into the movie. So if you're going to accuse her of being typecast from that movie, then Alicia Silverstone pretty much did it herself.

[–] AcademyAwardWinnerJordy 10 years ago

Clueless was pretty much a diamond in the rough, if you will. I think what really happened was all of her peers, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Reese Witherspoon, all eventually went on to the teen craze with the likes of Cruel Intentions, I Know...., etc. I think Alicia got really big headed and felt she was too good for roles like that and she was way too young for the mature roles she tried to do. She didn't even transition naturally like the other actress did. All she really had was Clueless to her name while the other girls had hit after hit. First Kiss Productions doesn't even sound like the production company of a grown woman!

Not to mention, she was a curvy girl in Hollywood and back then, if you weren't thin you were out. I remember back when Alicia was campaigning for the Batman role she had said something like she was trying her hardest to get down to the size the producers wanted. She wasn't fat by any means in the film and they wanted her THINNER than that. Crazy. Batman certainly didn't do her any favors.

Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation (Eat, Pray, Love)

[–] TMC-4 10 years ago

If I had to put my money for why Alicia's career didn't go further so to speak, after Clueless, I think it was a combination of...:
*Alicia simply making bad choices w/ her post-Clueless roles, namely Batman & Robin and Excess Baggage. These movies absolutely hurt her profile and bankability as a leading actress. By the time that Alicia came out w/ Blast from the Past, we were pretty much all "done" w/ her. Alicia disappearing from major, mainstream motion pictures from about five years after this (reemerging in the Scooby Doo sequel) further added to her irrelevancy. You can argue that the roles that may have gone to or would've been perfect for Alicia during her prime/Clueless peak soon went to actresses like for example, Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, or Kate Hudson.

*Alicia, w/ all do respect, didn't really have a whole lot of range as an actress when you get right down to it. What didn't help was Alicia seemingly not totally understanding her appeal (as evident by her character in Excess Baggage). Alicia should've understood that was much better suited for comedies instead of for instance, the bad, bargain bin thriller movies that he she had done before Clueless. I also think that Alicia was really bad at choosing scripts and/or had a stuffy management team behind her.

*Alicia as you said, didn't seem to want to totally embrace her reputation or image as a teen idol. To put it in another way, she didn't do more to "embrace" her youth. Excess Baggage to me, just screams, "I'm an adult now"! I don't know what Alicia was thinking when she decided that something like that was going to be her first big starring vehicle post-Clueless. Alicia basically, "reaped what she sowed" when she managed to get that major production deal w/ Columbia but owned up producing a movie that had a very troubled production and wound up failing to break even. I think Alicia's post-Clueless troubles is an example of how somebody really can't build a career off of just one movie.

*I've heard rumors (or blind items) online that Alicia can/could be very difficult or unpleasant to work with. I remember hearing about how Alicia was supposed to guest star on How I Met Your Mother but backed out at the last minute because Alicia didn't like the fact that Britney Spears was also appearing.

[–] AcademyAwardWinnerJordy 10 years ago

You hit so many points that I....didn't really want to say! Hahahah!

About her range...I think she was good in some things and really good in Clueless. I think Clueless was a character she understood and a lot of it was her. For example, her first debate in Mr. Hall's class. The way she pronounced "Haitians" was wrong but the director didn't correct her because she felt that was so Cher. Also, watching that movie over and over I can tell Alicia isn't a trained actress but that's okay. A Lot of decisions she made in that film were off of pure instinct. The thing about going off of instinct as an actor is that you don't have the training to back up you up.

As far as how she behaves on set, I'm not sure but I do think she can be petty. Did you see her on The View the day Rosie left? Rosie and Elizabeth get into it and Alicia walks past Elizabeth and hugs everyone else. I was stunned. That was so freakin' unprofessional. How are you going to come to someone else's house and act a fool? Here's the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEX-FIBnqUs

And, with the teen craze, I can't really remember but when I was younger she was in a magazine and this was, if my memory serves me correctly, right before Excess Baggage's premiere. She might have been promoting EB. The interviewer asked her about doing teen films and her response was. "Yeah, I get offered that sh!t all the time". She felt she was so above those films and I loved them! I would've loved to have seen her in Cruel Intentions as Reese Witherspoon's character! I think those films could've helped her to grow as an actress. Little things like that usually HELP actors. Queen Latifah learned how to hone her craft on Living Single, Will Smith learned on Fresh Prince.

With Excess Baggage, I remember when it first came out. My cousin called me up because she knew I was a big fan and told me Alicia had her own film coming out. I think I might've seen the trailer shortly after that phone call. Like 6 months later I'm wondering around the video store and there it is! I rented it and I couldn't even finish it. I think it started off really good but I think 15 minutes after Alicia and Benicio meet it just starts to go downhill from there. I was 11 when that film came out and I think that might've been the first film I turned off. I bought the dvd last year and finally finished it! Hahaha. I like the song at the end :)

Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation (Eat, Pray, Love)

[–] TMC-4 10 years ago

Yeah, Alicia acted like a fool on The View. I mean, you aren't in high school anymore Alicia (you need to behave like a professional adult, when you come on talk shows). If you don't like somebody's politics, then I would have much more respect for Alicia had she been upfront w/ Elisabeth. I mean, Alicia should've known were Elisabeth Hasslebeck stood politically going in. I wonder how she feels about Stacey Dash's whole controversy about her supporting Mitt Romney during the last presidential election? And of course, Alicia wouldn't admit what really happened, claiming that she was so "out of a loop" mentally from the heated Rosie-Elisabeth argument.

Alicia Silverstone in her personal life, in general, strikes me as a woman who takes the "hippie lifestyle" to the extreme. And I think that because Alicia wear's something like that so much on her sleeve (e.g. her filming herself "bird feeding" her son, her anti-vaccination comments, etc.), that could immediately turn people (especially much of Middle America) off.

I also heard rumors that suggest that Reese Witherspoon helped sabotage Alicia Silverstone's career. From my understanding, Reese was up for Alicia's role in Clueless. Sometime later, Alicia was considered for a role that Reese would eventually get (it was either Cruel Intentions or Legally Blonde, which was the movie that really made Reese Witherspoon "a star"). Anyway, to make a long story short, Reese allegedly started telling stories about Alicia possibly being unreliable due to being on drugs and alcohol.

[–] naissus_city 9 years ago

The success of Clueless was ironically the worst thing that happened to her it is because she signed 10 million contract with studio to make 3 movies with them and it went BAD. If she didn't do that in parallel universe she could be so much better in movies like:
Overnight Delivery (1998) instead of Reese Witherspoon
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) instead of Julia Stiles
Wild Things (1998) instead of Neve Campbell
Cruel Intentions (1999) instead of Sarah Michelle Gellar or Reese Witherspoon
Urban Legend (1998) instead of Alicia Witt
Down to You (2000) instead of Julia Stiles
Van Wilder (2002) instead of Tara Reid
I'd much rather see her in those roles but...

[–] knifeparty2004 9 years ago

Wow so many dare I say it, "clueless" people in this thread. You think Silverstone could just click her fingers to get those roles if she wanted them? lol. The film industry is highly competitive and she was far from a bonafide A-lister. Also, calling Silverstone, the It girl of the mid 90´s is a huge exaggeration.

[–] naissus_city 9 years ago

Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man

[–] TMC-4 8 years ago

http://www.looper.com/13420/real-reason-alicia-silverstones-career-ruined/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1046678