Alicia Silverstone had a major crush on Cary Elwes.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Saturday, Aug. 16, the “Clueless” star reflected on her film debut in the 1993 psychological thriller The Crush.
Silverstone, just 16 at the time, starred alongside 30-year-old Elwes and described the experience as a dream come true—despite their 14-year age gap.
“Not really, but a little,” Silverstone admitted. “I went to his trailer to ask if it was okay, and he was incredibly kind.”
Years later, when Elwes’ wife, Lisa Marie Kubikoff, shared behind-the-scenes photos from The Crush set, Silverstone playfully continued pretending that Elwes was her boyfriend.
“Lisa Marie, his wife, sent me old photos where we’re lying together, and I’m looking at her like, ‘This is my man,’” Silverstone joked.
She also noted that Elwes was nothing but a gentleman on set, acting more like a big brother than a romantic interest.
“He really was like a protective older brother and took care of me,” she said. “He was so lovely. Our relationship was very professional, and he was always sweet, kind, and big-brother-like.”
“It was such a fantastic job and an amazing role to play. I had so much fun,” Silverstone added.
In the same interview, the Blast from the Past star revealed that she nearly missed out on landing her role in The Crush.
The Alan Shapiro-directed thriller centers on 14-year-old Adrian Forrester (Silverstone), who becomes dangerously obsessed with 28-year-old writer Nick Eliot (Elwes).
“At first, I was auditioning almost every day but wasn’t landing anything,” Silverstone recalled. “Then suddenly, I started making it to the final rounds. They’d say, ‘It’s between you and one other girl.’ But that was even harder—I’d get so close and then be disappointed, whereas before I didn’t care as much.”
“They kept bringing me back over and over, and it seemed like I was going to get the part—only for it to go to someone else. It was really disheartening,” she added. “Somehow, I felt like I was meant to play this psychotic character.”
The actress also recently reflected on one of her earliest onscreen roles—a brief, one-episode appearance on The Wonder Years in 1992.
She filmed a scene with the show’s star, Fred Savage, who later joked that Silverstone had given him a fake phone number.
“Fred asked for my number, which was really sweet since I was only 14,” she explained. “My home phone was also my dad’s work fax number.”
Following her role in the erotic thriller Pretty Thing, which premiered last month, Silverstone is set to return as Cher Horowitz in Peacock’s upcoming Clueless reboot series.
Although she admitted she “never imagined” revisiting the 1995 classic, Silverstone said she’s “excited” and confident that the new series will “honor” the original film.
