Alicia Silverstone shares old letter about Hollywood pressure

Actress and activist Alicia Silverstone shares an old letter she wrote to a friend when she was 15, just before becoming an actress in Hollywood.

Silverstone became a teen icon in the ’90s, appearing in films and music videos that defined the era. However, behind the scenes, as her letter shows, she was among the young actors who were under intense scrutiny from the entertainment industry.

Yesterday, the 49-year-old actress shared a photo of herself on Instagram when she was 15 years old. In the carousel, she also added photos of an old letter she wrote to her friend Sabrina on September 8, 1992.

After some banter, Silverstone mentioned getting a role in a movie, writing, “Yes, I have a movie but it’s only 95% sure (or something like that). They want me there on Monday.”

She continued, “They, the movie people, want me to lose 5-10 pounds. OK, now laugh! Isn’t that a joke. I can’t lose weight, it’s like asking me to kill myself,” she noted playfully. She captioned the photo: “15-year-old me was funny. And I was trying to survive.”

Although she didn’t specify the title of the film in the letter, she alluded to it by using the hashtag #TheCrush in her caption. In 1993, Silverstone played the title character Adrian Forrester in the thriller “The Crush”, his breakout film.

Silverstone aimed to succeed in the industry. She began modeling and appeared in commercials in her early years before landing a small role in The wonderful years in 1992.

The following year, she starred in “The Crush”, the film which brought her great recognition. It wasn’t easy, however, as she had to emancipate herself from her parents at the request of film producers.

In an interview with rolling stone in 1995, the actress said she did it for the film. As a minor, she had limited work hours. “If you’re emancipated, that means you’re legally 18 and you can work crazy hours,” she told the outlet.

Silverstone had a good relationship with his parents. They agreed to emancipation, on the condition that she promised that their relationship would not change.

Subsequently, Silverstone rose to fame, appearing as the “it girl” in Aerosmith music videos and starring in other films, including “Distraught,” and “Batman and Robin.”

It’s one thing to have movie executives pressuring her to lose weight, but the public shaming her to her face was another thing entirely. “Batman & Robin” was released in 1997 and she played the role of Batgirl.

The tabloids talked about her weight and the paparazzi hounded her, calling her “Fatgirl.” In an interview with The guardian in 2020, she recalled the moment and said: “They made fun of my body when I was younger. I knew it was wrong to make fun of someone’s body shape, it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do to a human.”

At the time, the actress was distancing herself from the situation. However, as she grew older, she learned to applaud her humiliators. As previously reported The explosionSilverstone gave the middle finger on TikTok in response to a photo of herself circulating with the caption “Alicia Silverstone Candid Fat Photo.”

Being in the spotlight and being scrutinized at such a young age can be difficult, and the actress admitted she didn’t know how to handle the situation.

“I didn’t have the basics, the right tools to deal with it, I wasn’t prepared for it in any way. I really had no idea what was going on and I didn’t feel comfortable,” she said. The Hollywood Reporter.