Biography
Though she remained best known for her iconic starring role in the teen comedy "Clueless" (1995), Alicia Silverstone enjoyed a long and accomplished acting career. Born in San Francisco to British parents in 1974, Silverstone enjoyed spending summers in England for much of her youth. With her precocious personality and cherubic face, she began modeling at age six and by eight, she was making her TV debut in a Domino's Pizza commercial. Silverstone played a small role on an episode of "The Wonder Years" (ABC, 1988-1993) in 1992, but her breakout year would arrive in 1993, when she landed the starring role in the thriller "The Crush" (1993) in addition to prominent roles in the phenomenally popular music videos for the Aerosmith songs "Cryin'," "Amazin," and "Crazy." These roles raised Silverstone's notoriety and caught the attention of director Amy Heckerling, who knew the young actor would be perfect for her upcoming film "Clueless." The phenomenally popular comedy skyrocketed Silverstone into a level of fame that was difficult to maintain. She landed a plum role as Batgirl in the hotly anticipated "Batman & Robin" (1997), but when the film's overall script and direction were panned by critics, Silverstone's role in it became more of a liability than a boon. After a turn in the comedy "Blast from the Past" (1999), she happily took a step back from the glare of the spotlight in order to grow both as a person and as an artist. She appeared in Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearean adaptation "Love's Labour Lost" (2000) and made her Broadway debut in a 2002 production of "The Graduate." She starred briefly on the cult hit "Miss Match" (NBC, 2003) and took on the role of the naive Lynn in the hit movie "Beauty Shop" (2005) in 2005. That same year, she married musician Christopher Jarecki. Silverstone returned to the stage for a critically acclaimed turn in a production of David Mamet's "Boston Marriage" at the Geffen Playhouse in 2007, and returned to Broadway in 2010 for a starring role in "Time Stands Still." She next appeared opposite Jennifer Garner in the quirky comedy "Butter" (2011), before reuniting with Amy Heckerling for the horror comedy "Vamps" (2012). Silverstone remained a mainstay of the Broadway stage however, later starring in the play "The Performers," which was unfortunately cut short due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Silverstone went on to appear with Sharon Stone and Christopher Walken in the fantasy comedy "Gods Behaving Badly" (2013) before starring in an acclaimed 2015 off-Broadway production of "Of Good Stock." Silverstone appeared in the popular family film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" (2017) and generated buzz with her performance in the art house film "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" (2017). Silverstone and Jarecki divorced in 2018, but her career maintained its momentum with a role alongside Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda in "Book Club" (2018).
