Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Guest: Alicia Silverstone
Date: September 8, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode welcomes Alicia Silverstone, iconic actress known for Clueless and advocate for environmental and animal causes. As the conversation marks the 30th anniversary of Clueless, Dax, Monica, and Alicia delve into her unique upbringing, meteoric rise to stardom, the challenges and scrutiny she faced (especially in the Batman years), and her passion for activism. The episode also covers Silverstone's more recent projects, her perspectives on fame, and refreshing candidness about personal growth and privacy.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reflecting on Clueless and 1990s Nostalgia
- [00:24] Monica admits Clueless was "a movie that changed my life."
- Dax recalls arriving in California the same year the film released, calling Alicia’s status in Hollywood "another galaxy."
- They discuss how Clueless exaggerated Beverly Hills life but contained accurate details (BMWs, nose jobs, materialism).
Quote:
“Obviously, the film Clueless is an exaggeration… but some elements are pretty accurate. Like all the girls did have nose jobs, which is so disturbing at that age.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([21:43])
2. Early Life, Family, & Unique Upbringing
- [07:44] Both parents are English; mom was a Pan Am flight attendant, dad moved to America for sunshine post-WWII.
- Alicia describes her mom as elegant and non-materialistic, shaped by the experience of war ("she was an environmentalist without knowing it").
- Childhood was modest despite moving up to affluent Hillsborough; family remained frugal and responsible, going to Sizzler for celebratory dinners.
Quote:
“My mom would sow anti-materialism. She was an environmentalist without knowing it. She wasn’t trying to protect the earth—she just was absolutely anti-waste. Cause of the war.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([12:15])
3. Launching her Career: Theater, Modeling, and Early Fame
- [13:22] Modeling began at 8, but theater was her true love.
- Her father supported her by getting her into acting classes in San Francisco.
- Alicia discusses the thrill and awkwardness of being young (14) and professionally acting—her Domino’s commercial and trend toward TV/film (“I thought I was an actress even though I was 8”).
- Childhood crush and stories about sexuality and friendship, including an early, close “in love” friendship with Jonah Blackman.
4. On Sudden Stardom and Navigating Hollywood as a Serious Actress
- After The Crush (her breakout), Alicia received the MTV Movie Award for Best Newcomer.
- She experienced a rift between public perception (Aerosmith chick, Cher in Clueless) and her true interests (theater, activism, simplicity).
- This led to feelings of impostor syndrome and being misunderstood by media and public.
Quote:
“Most of the time, I didn’t even know what Cher was talking about. Most of the dialogue was a different language.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([38:14])
5. Women and Girls in 90s Films: Problematic Narratives
- The hosts revisit cultural artifacts like The Crush and Batman & Robin, critiquing the sexualization of teenage girls in '90s films.
- Dax highlights how these films wouldn’t be made in the same way today, and they collectively reflect on how media treated women and scrutinized their bodies.
Quote:
“There was 100 movies with teenage girls in love with older dudes… Men wrote that. Even the desire of someone that young is… You have some insecurities.”
— Dax Shepard ([25:02])
6. Music Video Icon: Aerosmith’s “Cryin’”, “Crazy”, “Amazing”
- [27:06] Alicia discusses her close, healthy friendship with video director Marty Callner and how these videos marked a turning point for Aerosmith and for women’s portrayal in music videos (“for the first time, a woman was in a video in control and powerful”).
- The inside story of working with Liv Tyler (“the whole video is us, like, romping around…”).
7. Hollywood Scrutiny, Fame, and the Batman Years
- Alicia recounts the negative side of intense fame during Batman & Robin, including public body shaming and harassment by paparazzi—even at age 18.
- She reflects on the toll this scrutiny took, her vulnerability, and her sense of needing to be “strong.”
Quote:
“I would hide in [an airline phone box at the airport] while they would scream at me. It was horrendous.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([53:30])
8. Life Beyond Clueless: Activism, Privacy, and New Directions
- Alicia chose activism and meaningful projects over mainstream stardom—traveling to Peru, Africa, working with Woody Harrelson, and producing documentaries.
- She discusses writing The Kind Diet as a way to channel her activism, and the need to reserve parts of her life from public consumption.
Quote:
“I was an activist in my little heart since I was a little girl… I just went, fuck all this.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([44:35])
- On media misunderstanding (“the only thing they’re talking about is Clueless ...these [new] things are great!”), and how she’s learned to set boundaries in interviews for her own wellbeing.
9. Later Projects and Collaborations
- Recent work includes the TV series Irish Blood ([79:48]), the upcoming film Begonia (with Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons), and the erotic thriller Pretty Thing.
- Deep pride and creative involvement in these projects (Alicia was involved in editing and scripts for Irish Blood).
- Her reunion with Benicio del Toro in Reptile, and working with celebrated director Yorgos Lanthimos on The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
10. Personal Growth, Relationships, and Co-Parenting
- Alicia opens up about her 20-plus-year relationship with her “ex-husband” (prefers “the man I was married to for 20 years”), their ongoing friendship, and co-parenting arrangements (they live across the street from each other).
- Honest conversation about dating after a long partnership, residual emotional ties, and learning to navigate new relationships while honoring the old.
Quote:
"We were both in love with each other when we broke up...but we co-parent beautifully."
— Alicia Silverstone ([81:27])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On public perception:
“You’re not dumb. That’d be kind of the first thing—‘you’re taller than I thought and you’re not dumb.’”
— Dax Shepard ([38:04]) -
On being misrepresented:
“Most of what we all did was not acceptable… It’s so hard to be perfect.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([24:50]) -
On Hollywood body shaming:
"How do you go home and speak to your children? Your daughter is a huge fan of mine. Tell her, ‘I told the person you love and admire that she's fat today.’ Does that feel good?"
— Alicia Silverstone ([54:36]) -
On activism fatigue:
“It’s better to wait to be asked [about activism] rather than sort of going around proselytizing. You’re gonna have way better results.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([64:08]) -
On personal boundaries:
“There are some things that are yours… I just learned over time that there are some things that are yours.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([57:05]) -
On finding value in work:
“Nothing is more lovely than a woman who comes over to me and says, ‘I couldn’t get pregnant, I read your book, and I got pregnant, thank you.’ That’s the juice.”
— Alicia Silverstone ([72:08])
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:24 – 30th anniversary of Clueless; Dax and Monica’s early impressions
- 07:44–13:22 – Alicia’s family history, childhood, and value formation
- 13:22–19:05 – Early career, modeling, Domino’s commercial, acting classes
- 21:15 – Moving to LA, Beverly Hills High, culture shock
- 23:11–25:12 – The Crush, problematic 90s plots, and changing cultural standards
- 27:06–29:18 – Aerosmith videos; breakout music video moments
- 35:38–43:13 – Clueless fame, interview pressures, and reaction to typecasting
- 53:27–55:58 – Batman & Robin: Press harassment and body image scrutiny
- 57:05–62:49 – Building personal boundaries, activism, and public perception
- 79:48–83:00 – Irish Blood, Begonia, and co-parenting stories
- 81:59 – Reflections on enjoying “celebrity” persona and balancing authenticity
- 87:30 – Alicia’s creative involvement in recent projects and anticipation for future seasons
Alicia Silverstone's Current & Recent Projects
- Irish Blood (Acorn TV): Drama mini-series—Alicia plays a tough divorce attorney navigating family secrets in Ireland.
- Begonia: Halloween 2025 release, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.
- Pretty Thing: Erotic thriller, directed by Justin Kelly.
- Reptile: Reunion film with Benicio del Toro.
Tone & Takeaways
The conversation is candid, warm, and “armchair” in true Dax and Monica style: intelligent, irreverent, and unguarded. Alicia Silverstone comes across as thoughtful, deeply empathetic, and self-aware, with gentle but pointed insight into the evolution of Hollywood, fame, and adulthood.
Listeners will come away with:
- A nuanced understanding of Silverstone’s journey from ’90s icon to substantive advocate and creator.
- Revelations about the cost of fame—especially for young women in the pre-social media era.
- Inspiration for setting personal boundaries, finding meaning in work, and balancing privacy with authenticity.
(Summary ends here—episode moves into unrelated fact checks and onscreen banter.)