Avegan, Silverstone has endorsedPETA activities and published two cookbooks:The Kind Diet (2009) andThe Kind Mama (2014). She also starred in season 4 of The Ranch (2018).
Her first credited acting role was onThe Wonder Years in 1992, in the episode "Road Test", as Kevin's high school "dream girl".[10] Silverstone made her film debut when she obtained the leading role in the erotic thrillerThe Crush, playing a teenage girl who sets out to ruin an older man after he spurns her affections; she becamelegally emancipated at the age of 15 to work the hours required for the shooting schedule of the film.[8] She won two awards at the1994 MTV Movie Awards for the role—Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain.[3] Silverstone made some television films in her early career, includingTorch Song,Cool and the Crazy,[3] andScattered Dreams.
After seeing her inThe Crush,Marty Callner decided Silverstone would be perfect for a role in a music video he was directing for Aerosmith, called "Cryin'." Silverstone is shown getting anavel piercing in the music video, which has largely been credited as introducing the navel piercing to mainstream culture.[11] She was subsequently cast in two more Aerosmith videos, "Amazing" and "Crazy". These were hugely successful for both the band and Silverstone, making her a household name.[12] After seeing Silverstone in the three videos, filmmakerAmy Heckerling decided to cast her in thecoming-of-age comedyClueless, in the role of Cher Horowitz, a sweet but spoiled girl living inBeverly Hills.[13]Clueless became a hit and critical darling during the summer of 1995,[14] and as a result, Silverstone signed a deal withColumbia-TriStar valued between $8 and $10 million.[15][16] As part of the package, she got a three-yearfirst-look deal for her own production company, First Kiss Productions. Silverstone also won Best Female Performance and Most Desirable Female at the1996 MTV Movie Awards, plus awards fromBlockbuster Entertainment Award,Kids' Choice Awards,National Board of Review and anAmerican Comedy Award for her performance in the film.[17]
Silverstone had three other film releases in 1995—Le Nouveau monde,Hideaway andThe Babysitter.Le Nouveau monde, which is a French drama about Americans, saw her play the love interest of a French boy. In thefilm adaptation of the novel byDean Koontz,Hideaway, she took on the role of the daughter of a man who dies in a car accident and is revived two hours later. The filmThe Babysitter[3] was aBerotic thriller directed byGuy Ferland based on the eponymous short story byRobert Coover in his 1969 collectionPricksongs and Descants.
In 1996, she starred in the direct-to-video thrillerTrue Crime as a Catholic school student searching for a murderer of teenage girls. Her next role was Barbara Wilson/Batgirl inBatman & Robin (1997). Budgeted at $160 million,[18] the film grossed a modest $238 million worldwide,[19] and her turn as Batgirl received polarized reviews from critics, who also considered the film to be one of theworst films of all time.[20][21] Silverstone won aRazzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress,[22] but received a Blimp Award at theKids' Choice Awards for the role.
Also in 1997, the first film by Silverstone's production company,Excess Baggage, was released. In the film, she plays a neglected young woman who stages her own kidnapping to get her wealthy father's attention, only to actually be kidnapped by a car thief. The film only grossed $14.5 million in North America,[23] and received mediocre reviews from critics;Roger Ebert mentioned that she was "no better than OK" as he felt that she was miscast.[24] Silverstone starred as the female lead in the romantic comedyBlast from the Past (1999), directed byHugh Wilson and co-starringBrendan Fraser,Christopher Walken andSissy Spacek. Critical response towards the film was mixed,[25] while it made a modest $40 million globally.[26]
For the next decade, Silverstone stepped aside from the spotlight and opted to focus on smaller-scale films and theater.[27] InLove's Labour's Lost (2000), a film adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare'splay, directed byKenneth Branagh, Silverstone played the Princess of France, a role which required her to sing and dance. While critical response was mixed, the film received a limited theatrical release.[28][29] Film criticJames Berardinelli felt that Silverstone, "while not completely at ease with all of her dialogue, is surprisingly credible" in her portrayal.[30]
Silverstone signed on to headline the 2003 NBC television seriesMiss Match, as Kate Fox, a Los Angeles matrimonial attorney who doubles as a high-end matchmaker. The show was canceled after only 11 episodes had aired, andVariety in its review for the show, wrote: "It's a shame that she's stuck with such wafer-thin material here, because Silverstone is undoubtedly a fun, perky presence on the small screen."[31] Nevertheless, she earned aGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
In the comedyBeauty Shop (2005), a spinoff of theBarbershop film franchise, Silverstone appeared withQueen Latifah, playing a naive and bubbly stylist of an Atlanta-area salon.[33] The film was her final wide release of the decade in North America, where it grossed $37.2 million.[34]
Her next film, the thrillerSilence Becomes You, received a DVD release in 2005.[3] Silverstone did a pilot episode in 2005 withFox calledQueen B, where she played a delusional former high school prom queen,[35] but it was not picked up for production. In 2006, she starred in anABC pilot calledPink Collar as a woman working in a law firm, but likeQueen B, this pilot was not picked up to series.
Silverstone portrayed the close friend of a teenager turned secret agent in the action-spy filmStormbreaker (2006), directed byGeoffrey Sax and co-starringAlex Pettyfer,Ewan McGregor andMickey Rourke. Despite a $40 million budget, the film made $23 million worldwide and was largely dismissed by critics.[36][37]USA Today described Silverstone as "simply ghastly" in her role,[38] whileView London remarked that there was "strong support" from the actress.[39] She obtained the role of a single mother returning to her hometown after a lengthy absence in the made-for-Hallmark Hall of Fame television filmCandles on Bay Street, based on the book by Cathie Pelletier.[3]
Silverstone continued her theater work, next appearing inDavid Mamet'sBoston Marriage (2007), a play exploring the relationship between two upper-class women, where the actress played what was described byLos Angeles Times as the "clueless and hyper-emotional Scottish maid" of one of them.[40] The production was presented at theGeffen Playhouse theater in Los Angeles, withVariety writing that Silverstone "steals the show [in her role]. Her Scottish accent is good, her comic delivery is fresh, and she gets the maximum laugh value from each wobbly curtsey. Her character is the one thing in the show that Mamet gets absolutely right, although she is used a bit repetitively."[41] In the same year, she starred as a secretary in the theater productionSpeed-the-Plow, a satire of Hollywood executives. The production, presented at Geffen Playhouse, was directed by Randall Arney and penned by David Mamet.The Hollywood Reporter concluded the play was "fueled" by "a spectacular tour de force" from Silverstone.[42]
Silverstone continued to focus on theater and independent productions throughout the 2010s, but acted considerably more than in the previous decade.[49] In 2010, she reprised her role in the Broadway production ofTime Stands Still, alongsideLaura Linney.Daniel Sullivan directed the play, and described Silverstone as "a breath of fresh air"[50] which had a general positive reception among critics.The New York Times felt that Silverstone "brings warmth, actorly intelligence, and delicate humor."[51] She filmed a small segment in the independent comedy sequelElektra Luxx (2010), but her part was not included in the final cut of the film.[52]
Silverstone obtained the role of the teacher of a Manhattan private-school senior in the teen romance dramaThe Art of Getting By (2011),[53] which premiered at theSundance Film Festival.[54] The ensemble comedyButter (2011) saw her play the adoptive mother of a 12-year-old African-American girl who enters a localbutter sculpturing competition in a smallIowa town. The film screened on the film festival circuit and was distributed in a limited release.[55] She reunited withClueless director Amy Heckerling in the independent filmVamps (2012), playing one of two vampires who fall in love and face a choice that could jeopardize their immortality.[56] She was offered the role after Heckerling came to see her inTime Stands Still.[57] Despite a very limited release,[58]Variety found the film to be "a refreshing change of pace [...] with an irresistible cast".[59]
Silverstone guest-starred inChildrens Hospital (2011) and obtained a four-episode role in the first season ofSuburgatory (2012), reuniting with herClueless castmateJeremy Sisto.[60][61] In 2012, Silverstone returned to Broadway in the production ofThe Performers, a comedic performance set at the Adult Film Award inLas Vegas.[62] The play premiered in November at theLongacre Theatre, but was canceled after 23 previews and seven regular performances due to the aftermath ofHurricane Sandy.[63] In 2013, she filmed the television pilotHR,[64] which was not picked up,[65] and appeared in the Sundance comedyAss Backwards, released for VOD and selected theaters.[66] In 2014, Silverstone took on the role of a self-absorbed mother in the rural environment in the coming-of-age dramaAngels in Stardust,[67] and herKind Life follow-up book,The Kind Mama, was published.[68]
In 2015, Silverstone starred in the New York production ofOf Good Stock, a play revolving around a group of siblings who gather at their family home for a summer weekend.[69]Entertainment Weekly remarked that she was "magnetic even as an engaged narcissist, ditzy" sister;[70] however,The New York Times felt that her role was "the most cartoonish of the characters and a thankless part for [Silverstone], who tips into comic shrillness here".[71] She appeared in the romantic comedyWho Gets the Dog? (2016),[72] oppositeRyan Kwanten portraying a divorcing couple fighting over custody of their beloved dog. The production went straight to DVD. Her next film appearance was in the independent biographical dramaKing Cobra (2016), as the mother of gay film actorBrent Corrigan.[73]
In 2016'sCatfight, Silverstone played the love interest of an outsider artist having a bitter lifetime rivalry with a wealthy housewife.[74] The black comedy was released for VOD and selected theaters, to largely positive reviews.[75] Silverstone starred in three 2017 films—Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,[76]The Killing of a Sacred Deer,[77] andThe Tribes of Palos Verdes[78]—and filmed the television seriesAmerican Woman in July of that year. On her busy workload, she remarked: "[T]hey were all happening at the same time. Everybody worked together. Yorgos [theSacred Dee director] helped us to push my date andDiary of a Wimpy Kid held the movie for a week or two for me".[79] The comedyThe Long Haul, the fourth film in theDiary of a Wimpy Kid film series, saw her portray the clueless and loving mother of thetitular character, replacingRachael Harris. The film was widely disliked and criticized by critics for the recasting of the main characters and its story development,[80] and whileThe Long Haul made a modest $40.1 million worldwide, it emerged as Silverstone's most widely seen film sinceBeauty Shop (2005).[81]
In the psychological thrillerThe Killing of a Sacred Deer, directed byYorgos Lanthimos and co-starringColin Farrell andNicole Kidman, Silverstone took on the role of a widow and the mother of a mysterious boy who befriends his late father's cardiac surgeon. The film competed for thePalme d'Or at the70th Cannes Film Festival and was an arthouse success.[82][83] Casting director Francine Maisler chose Silverstone after seeing her star in a previous play; her two-scene appearance was filmed in one day, and she remarked of the filming: "[I]t was just so wonderful. When you admire something so much, it's a little bit hard to imagine how you fit into it".[79] In the independentcoming-of-age dramaThe Tribes of Palos Verdes, she reunited with herButter co-starJennifer Garner, playing a real-estate agent living inPalos Verdes, an affluent, coastal suburb of Los Angeles. The film received a one-theater release byIFC.[84]
Silverstone is ananimal rights and environmental activist. She became a vegan in 1998 after attending an animal rights meeting, saying, "I realized that I was the problem ... I was an animal lover who was eating animals."[100] She has stated she struggled with childhood vegetarianism: "At eight years old it's hard to stick to your guns—and so through the years I was always starting and stopping trying to be a vegetarian."[101] She has been criticized due to heranti-vaccine stance, promotion ofpseudoscientific diet and lifestyle choices, and her claims regarding the medical and spiritual benefits of veganism.[102]
In 2004, Silverstone was voted "Sexiest Female Vegetarian" byPETA.[103] In 2007, she appeared nude in a print advertisement and 30-second commercial for PETA championing vegetarianism; the TV spot was subsequently pulled from theHouston, Texas market byComcast Cable.[104] In 2016, she posed nude in one of the group's "I'd Rather Go Naked" anti-wool ads.[105] She has set up a sanctuary for rescued pets in Los Angeles.[106][107][failed verification] In 2012, during the trial of Russian bandPussy Riot, she wrote a letter toVladimir Putin asking that vegan meals be made available to all Russian prisoners.[107][108]
She married her longtime boyfriend, rock musicianChristopher Jarecki, in a beachfront ceremony atLake Tahoe on June 11, 2005.[115][116] After meeting outside a theater in 1997, they dated for eight years prior to their marriage.[100] They got engaged about a year before their marriage, and Jarecki presented Silverstone with an engagement ring that had belonged to his grandmother.[117] The couple lived in aneco-friendly Los Angeles house that Silverstone bought in 1996, complete withsolar panels and anorganicvegetable garden[100] and they shared a "menagerie of rescued dogs".[117] On May 5, 2011, Silverstone gave birth to a son.[118][119][120] Jarecki and Silverstone separated in February 2018, filed for divorce three months later, and it was finalized in November of that year.[121][122][123]
She was awarded aHeart of Green Award in 2009, which "recognizes individuals, organizations or companies who have helped green go mainstream."[137] In 2010, she was awarded aVoice of Compassion Award by the Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine for "shining a spotlight on the powerful health benefits of a vegan diet."[138] In 2021, she was nominated for theDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Children's Program.[139]
^Crocker, Lizzy (April 22, 2014)."From 'Clueless' to Clueless: Alicia Silverstone's 'The Kind Mama'".The Daily Beast. RetrievedNovember 12, 2018.Adding another misinformed voice to the debate, Silverstone offers this qualified defense of vaccine conspiracy theorists: "According to Drs. Roizen and Oz...While there has not been a conclusive study of the negative effects of such a rigorous one-size-fits-all, shoot-'em-up schedule, there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was 'never the same' after receiving a vaccine. And I personally have friends whose babies were drastically affected in this way." Anecdotal evidence from friends? Case closed. [...] Eating plants during pregnancy, writes Silverstone, "means not only boosting the odds of conceiving but also setting the stage for a transcendent pregnancy, a smoother birth, a healthier baby, and long-term protection from almost every disease there is." By eating "kind foods"—plant-based foods—women can "supercharge fertility; reduce your likelihood of miscarriage; infuse breast milk with all kinds of nutrient goodness that make your kids smart and healthy; and help stave off diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes."
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