How Laura Dern inspired Alicia Silverstone: “I just wanted to be around her”
You only have to see some yellow plaid to think of Alicia Silverstone as Cher in the iconic teen movie Clueless. Arriving in 1995, the film was a hit, enduring as a hilariously well-written meditation on the trials and tribulations of adolescence.
Based very loosely on Jane Austen’s Emma, the film is self-aware in its depiction of privileged California teens, and Silverstone did a fantastic job of portraying the spoiled yet effortlessly lovable protagonist. With witty catchphrases and unforgettable outfits (“What the hell is that?” “A dress”. “Says who?!” “Calvin Klein”.), Silverstone made her mark on ‘90s cinema with the role, although she soon tarnished her reputation with a role in Batman & Robin two years later.
It was unfortunate she had to take the ‘Worst Supporting Actress’ Razzie for her performance, and her career has never really been the same since. Silverstone has struggled to find her place in Hollywood, even though she was the perfect Cher in Clueless and encapsulated a slightly terrifying teen girl in The Crush alongside Cary Elwes, which was her film debut.
It was during this time that she found inspiration in another actor who had started out young, only a decade or so before her. Appearing in Hideaway in 1995, Silverstone got to meet Laura Dern, the then-girlfriend of her co-star Jeff Goldblum. She was instantly captivated by someone whose career in Hollywood began when she was a youngling; her parents were Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, after all.
An early role as a teen punk musician in Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains paved the way for her to secure a leading role in 1985’s Smooth Talk. She was just 18, but the role called for significant maturity, considering that her character gets preyed upon by a terrifying older man, played by Treat Williams. Silverstone picked out the film while appearing in the Criterion Closet, explaining, “This movie is so important to me”.
She added, “When I was a little person acting, I did a scene from Smooth Talk, which is kind of really disturbing in a way, because it’s, you know, very complex sexual content”. For her, Dern was an impressive force, with the actor stating, “I remember being so so inspired by Laura in this film, she was so good!”
When they finally met, the younger actor “just wanted to be around her and talk to her”, describing her in way of a schoolgirl crush, saying, “[she’s] so kind to me”. This is a sentiment that has been echoed by other actors, like Winona Ryder, who once recalled her meeting with Dern during test screenings for the movie Lucas to Elle. “Laura was there to read for the older girl, and she talked me through it, ‘cause I didn’t know what the fuck was going on. She befriended me. I was literally 12, and nobody knows this, she took me under her wing into my 20s.”
Silverstone just thought Dern had something about her that was so friendly and comforting to be around. According to the Clueless star, she “had really wonderful big sister actress help in her way, her nature of sharing with me her wisdom, and I really appreciated that”.
