Alicia Silverstone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alicia Silverstone
Silverstone in 2019
Born	(1976-10-04) October 4, 1976 (age 48) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Christopher Jarecki ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2018)​
Children	1

Alicia Silverstone (born October 4, 1976) is an American actress. She first appeared in the thriller film The Crush (1993). For this role, she won an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in 1994. She became very well known as a teen idol after appearing in music videos for Aerosmith's songs "Cryin'", "Amazing", and "Crazy".

Alicia Silverstone then starred as Cher Horowitz in the popular teen comedy film Clueless (1995). This role helped her sign a big deal with Columbia Pictures. In 1997, she played Batgirl in the superhero movie Batman & Robin. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in the TV series Miss Match (2003). She continues to act in movies, TV shows, and on stage.

Alicia Silverstone is also a vegan. She supports PETA and has written two cookbooks: The Kind Diet (2009) and The Kind Mama (2014).

Early Life and Beginnings

Alicia Silverstone was born on October 4, 1976, in San Francisco, California. Her parents were from Britain. Her mother, Deirdre "Didi" Silverstone, was a flight attendant from Scotland. Her father, Monty Silverstone, was a real estate agent from England. Alicia grew up in Hillsborough, California. Her father came from a Jewish family, and her mother became a Conservative Jew before they married. Alicia had a Bat Mitzvah ceremony.

She started modeling when she was six years old. Later, she appeared in TV commercials, with her first one being for Domino's Pizza. She went to Crocker Middle School and then San Mateo High School.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1990s

Alicia Silverstone's first acting role was in The Wonder Years in 1992. She played a "dream girl" in the episode "Road Test." Her first movie role was the main character in the thriller The Crush. In this film, she played a teenage girl who tries to cause trouble for an older man after he rejects her. She became legally independent at 15 to work the long hours needed for the movie. She won two awards at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards for this role: Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain. Early in her career, Silverstone also made some TV movies like Torch Song and Cool and the Crazy.

After seeing her in The Crush, director Marty Callner chose Alicia for an Aerosmith music video called "Cryin'." She later appeared in two more Aerosmith videos, "Amazing" and "Crazy." These videos were very popular and made her a well-known name.

Filmmaker Amy Heckerling saw Alicia in these videos and decided to cast her in the comedy Clueless. Alicia played Cher Horowitz, a sweet but spoiled girl living in Beverly Hills. Clueless became a huge success in 1995. Because of this, Alicia signed a big deal with Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures. She also won several awards for her performance in Clueless, including Best Female Performance at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.

In 1997, Alicia Silverstone played Barbara Wilson, also known as Batgirl, in Batman & Robin. This superhero movie made a lot of money worldwide. She also produced and starred in Excess Baggage in 1997. In 1999, she starred in the romantic comedy Blast from the Past with Brendan Fraser.

Roles in the 2000s

In the 2000s, Alicia Silverstone chose to work on smaller films and theater projects. In 2000, she appeared in Love's Labour's Lost, a movie based on a William Shakespeare play. She played the Princess of France and had to sing and dance.

From 2001 to 2003, she was the voice of Sharon Spitz in the animated TV series Braceface. She also made her Broadway debut in a stage version of The Graduate from 2002 to 2003. In 2003, she starred in the NBC TV series Miss Match, playing a lawyer who also works as a matchmaker. Even though the show was short-lived, she earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role.

Silverstone at the 2006 Sanctuary Gala

In 2004, Alicia played a news reporter who becomes a villain in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. The movie was popular and earned a lot of money. In 2005, she appeared in the comedy Beauty Shop with Queen Latifah. She also starred in the action-spy film Stormbreaker in 2006.

Alicia continued her theater work, appearing in plays like Boston Marriage (2007) and Speed-the-Plow (2007). In 2009, she starred in the play Time Stands Still. Also in 2009, she released her book The Kind Diet, which is a guide to vegan nutrition. This book became a bestseller.

Projects in the 2010s

Alicia Silverstone continued to work in theater and independent films during the 2010s. In 2010, she returned to the Broadway production of Time Stands Still. She also appeared in the teen romance drama The Art of Getting By (2011).

In 2012, she reunited with Clueless director Amy Heckerling for the independent film Vamps. In this movie, she played one of two vampires who fall in love. She also had a four-episode role in the TV series Suburgatory (2012).

Silverstone speaking at the 2010 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

In 2014, her second book, The Kind Mama, was published. In 2016, she starred in the romantic comedy Who Gets the Dog? and the drama King Cobra.

In 2017, Alicia Silverstone starred in three films: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and The Tribes of Palos Verdes. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, she played the loving mother of the main character. She also filmed the TV series American Woman that year. In 2018, she appeared in the comedy Book Club.

Recent Work in the 2020s

In 2020, Alicia Silverstone appeared in the comedies Bad Therapy, Sister of the Groom, and Valley Girl. She also began starring in the Netflix series The Baby-Sitters Club.

In 2021, she was in the Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation. In 2023, she appeared in the crime drama thriller Reptile. Her recent roles in 2024 include the film Y2K and the comedy horror Krazy House. In 2024, she also worked as an executive producer for the British documentary film I Could Never Go Vegan.

Activism and Causes

Alicia Silverstone is a strong supporter of animal rights and environmental causes. She became a vegan in 1998 after attending a meeting about animal rights. She realized that as an animal lover, she didn't want to eat animals anymore. She has supported PETA activities and has appeared in their campaigns to promote vegetarianism and animal welfare.

She has also set up a sanctuary in Los Angeles for rescued pets. In 2012, she wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin asking for vegan meals to be available to all prisoners in Russia.

Personal Life

Alicia Silverstone has two older siblings: a half-sister named Kezi and a brother named David.

She married rock musician Christopher Jarecki on June 11, 2005, at Lake Tahoe. They had dated for eight years before getting married. They lived in an eco-friendly house in Los Angeles that Alicia bought in 1996. The house had solar panels and an organic vegetable garden. They also shared their home with many rescued dogs.

On May 5, 2011, Alicia Silverstone gave birth to their son. Jarecki and Silverstone separated in February 2018, and their divorce was finalized in November of that year.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Music Videos

Stage Performances

Awards and Recognitions

Alicia Silverstone has received several awards for her acting and activism. In 2009, she was given a Heart Of Green Award for helping to make environmental efforts more popular. In 2010, she received a Voice Of Compassion Award for highlighting the health benefits of a vegan diet. She has also been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work in children's programming.

See also

In Spanish: Alicia Silverstone para niños