A series of “swimsuit shots” led
Alicia Silverstone to modeling. She
was a mere six years old; the photographer was her dad.
Nine years and many commercials later, the teenager had come
into her own. Her natural
charisma combined with sultry innocence to create a potent on-screen
presence, and the model turned to acting.
A role in the movie McBain
(1991) was followed by a guest appearance on TV’s The Wonder Years (1992).
Male viewers were entranced.
This was a blonde bombshell on her way up.
Silverstone dropped out of Beverly Hills High
(she did attend acting classes, and later earned a general equivalency
diploma) for her budding career, and became an emancipated minor so
that her working hours would not be restricted by child labor laws. A role in The Crush (1993), effectively her “breakthrough,”
led to parts in the television movies Judith Krantz’s Torch Song
(1993), Scattered
Dreams (1993) and The Cool and the Crazy (1994). An appearance in the successful Aerosmith videos
Cryin,
Amazing and Crazy (an MTV All-Time Favourite) bridged
Silverstone’s transfer back to the big screen, and 1995 became
a big year for the 19-year-old with Hideaway, Le Nouveau Monde, True Crime, The Babysitter,
and the smash hit Clueless.
Not only did the latter net the young actor a National Board
of Review Outstanding Newcomer award, an American Comedy Award and
two MTV movie awards, but a $7 million (or $10 million, depending
upon your source) three-movie production deal.
The hefty perk didn’t turn out particularly well, for
what followed first was the unfortunate film Excess Baggage
with Silverstone as star, and produced by her First Kiss Productions.
Cost overruns and poor box office returns on this film resulted
in a trimming down by studios of future “vanity deals.”
Frustrations continued for the Clueless
starlet. Hollywood media was
not on her side, snidely reporting the Baggage gory details, speculating about a
scandalous love life, and announcing a weight gain. All trace, though, of real or imagined poundage was gone by the
time she zipped into her Batgirl suit for Batman and Robin (1997), but
the actor found the role less challenging than she would have liked,
and critics agreed. Silverstone
received a “worst actress” Razzie for her efforts.
Attempting artistic redemption with Blast from
the Past (1999), and a singing and dancing debut in Love’s
Labors Lost (2000), the performer was again in the headlines
for an off-camera affair with her director (an affair both parties
strongly deny).
Coming up are roles in Stand By Your Man (which Silverstone
will co-produce), and Breakers.
Although alternately adored and loathed by the
press for her sexiness (she’s described as “nubile”
in every article), Silverstone, at 23, has built a show business reputation
by capitalizing, but never exploiting, her image.
(For example she does not do nude scenes herself, but does
agree to using a body double.) Her troubles may now be behind her -- there
aren’t many performers ready to handle a multi-million dollar
production deal at 19, but the learning experience will go a long
way towards a solid Hollywood career.
