If you were a teenager in the 90s, there was only one girl in the world: Cher Horowitz.
And her real name was Alicia Silverstone.
The Aerosmith Girl
Born Alicia Silverstone on October 4, 1976, in San Francisco, California, she made her film debut in the thriller The Crush (1993) at 16. She won the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.
But she became a household name not from a movie – from music videos.
At 17, she appeared as the ultimate teen idol in Aerosmith’s videos for “Cryin’,” “Amazing,” and “Crazy” from their album Get a Grip (1993). Every teenager in America had her poster. Steven Tyler himself called her “the Aerosmith girl.”
She was the original viral star before the internet existed.
As If! – Clueless (1995)
Then came 1995.
At 18, Alicia starred as Cher Horowitz in Amy Heckerling’s teen comedy Clueless. It was supposed to be a small movie. It became a cultural phenomenon.
As the rich, lovable, matchmaking Beverly Hills valley girl who says “As If!” – Alicia became the biggest teen star in the world. The film earned her a multi-million dollar deal with Columbia Pictures – unheard of for an 18-year-old girl at that time.
For a whole generation, she WAS the 90s. The plaid yellow skirt, the knee-high socks, the “Ugh! As If!” – all Alicia.
Batgirl and Beyond
After Clueless, Hollywood tried to make her the next big everything:
Batman & Robin (1997) – She played Batgirl / Barbara Wilson opposite George Clooney, one of the most iconic superhero roles of the 90s.
Excess Baggage (1997), Blast from the Past (1999), Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000), Beauty Shop (2005), Scooby-Doo 2 (2004) – She starred in hit after hit, and produced many of them.
She also starred in TV series Miss Match (2003) and became a best-selling author.
But unlike other 90s stars, Alicia chose a different path. She became a dedicated activist for animal rights and veganism, writing the best-selling vegan lifestyle book The Kind Diet. She stepped back from blockbusters to focus on indie films, theater, and activism.
Now at 48, she is still acting, still vegan, and still looks exactly like Cher – fans say she hasn’t aged a day. She reunites with her Clueless co-stars often and embraces the legacy.
Final Thought: Alicia Silverstone had Hollywood at her feet at 18. She could have been anything. She chose to be herself. That’s why the 90s still love her.
