Rom-Com Stars Who Disappeared From Hollywood

Beverly Hills rich, high school queen bee, a sweetheart with a sharp tongue — everyone wanted to be Cher Horowitz. But hear it straight from the horse's mouth: It wasn't easy being her, Alicia Silverstone testified. "I really had no idea what was happening, and it didn't feel comfortable," the iconic star of "Clueless" told The Hollywood Reporter.

The 1995 rom-com launched Silverstone, then still a teenager, to meteoric fame as the definitive diva of the '90s cultural zeitgeist. A rough modern-day rendition of Jane Austen's "Emma," the film imprinted itself almost immediately as a legendary piece of pop culture among youths. 

As the generation echoed their newfound glamorous vocabulary — ugh, as if! — Silverstone buckled under the sudden fame, widespread sexualization, and hurtful patronization. "Clueless" left her ... clueless. None of her successive films worked as well, too. Bit by bit, she wrangled herself free from the screen and explored greener pastures. "I went to Africa to help the elephants, I went to Peru to try to help the rainforest. I found my passion for writing books on healing and health," she told The Hollywood Reporter. Nevertheless, Silverstone continued recalling her "Clueless" legacy fondly, even recreating her iconic yellow plaid look for a Super Bowl ad in 2023.