Ariana Richards from Jurassic Park Is No Longer an Actress, Not Even Close
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00:00Just to be there for me at the very beginning, the inception of this was so special. I just,
00:05I feel really, really touched that I got to be there in that moment.
00:13And then to see it roll forward like this is absolutely stellar.
00:17Ariana Richards is honored to be a part of the original movie in the Jurassic Park franchise.
00:22She played the plucky computer programmer Lex. The films are all built on the idea of chasing
00:27a dream. It would almost be like dishonoring their legacy not to chase her own. She acted
00:33in several other films and TV shows. She even dabbled in music and music videos. It all helped
00:38her discover her true calling. Keep watching to learn why Ariana Richards from Jurassic Park
00:44is no longer an actress. Acting in her breakout role
00:48Ariana Richards was born September 11, 1979, in Healdsburg, California. She made her acting debut
00:56in an episode of The Golden Girls in 1987. Her film debut was in the 1987 made-for-cable film
01:02Into the Homeland. She also appeared in 1989's Christmas film Prancer and 1990's Tremors.
01:09She got noticed for these roles as well as a few commercials when she was young.
01:13That was nothing compared to the fan admiration she was about to receive.
01:17Her breakout role was in 1993's smash hit Jurassic Park as Lex Murphy. She played the
01:24granddaughter of the dinosaur park's founder, John Hammett. Her character was a major force
01:29in the plot because her programming knowledge helped the survivors escape when the dinosaurs
01:34went rogue. She was also key to one of its most memorable scenes when a prowling dinosaur's steps
01:40jiggled the jello she was eating. She spoke about her top-secret audition process. She was only 12
01:46and wasn't even given a script to look over. The casting director simply told her she'd be
01:51put on tape to share with the director, Steven Spielberg. All she had to do was pretend a
01:56dinosaur was attacking her, let loose, and scream. Ariana said that was the entire process. She
02:02admits it was the weirdest audition she'd ever done. The strange process worked out because
02:07Ariana was perfect for the role. Steven was impressed by her acting ability right away.
02:12She distinctly remembers,
02:21I mean, how do you get to this level of fear? Were you scared by a clown when you were two?
02:27I mean, what was it? Wait, wait, wait, I don't want to know. And then he walked away.
02:33Whatever it was she tapped into, it made the audience feel the terror as well. Her youthful
02:38innocence also won the hearts of viewers. It made them root for her to get out of the park safely.
02:43Getting Noticed For Jurassic Park
02:46Jurassic Park was a hitmaker for everyone involved, including Steven Spielberg. It
02:51helped launch their careers further than they could have imagined. Ariana won several Young
02:56Actress Awards. She even got the number 98 spot on VH1's 100 Greatest Child Stars list
03:02in February 2014. It's no wonder she returned to the role of Lex in the 1997 sequel The Lost World
03:10Jurassic Park. She doesn't look back on it as the most significant moment of her life,
03:14but she has fond memories of filming Jurassic Park, working with such amazing practical effects
03:20that made the dinosaurs feel real to her and viewers. She noted,
03:36Steven was also a great director for her, who helped guide the children without forcing them
03:41to behave one way or the other. Ariana is grateful for the impact of Jurassic Park.
03:46She was there for the Fallen World premiere and considered it a wonderful reunion. At the same
03:51time, she is surprised that the franchise has lasted as long as it did. She never thought
03:56this simple dinosaur story would be a phenomenon, saying, acting and singing later. Ariana's talent
04:06was apparent from her early work as Lex. She went on to star in several other roles after it,
04:12even if they weren't mega-million-dollar blockbusters. Her follow-up film roles included
04:171995's Angus, 2001's Tremors 3 Back to Perfection, and 2013's Battle Dogs. Her TV roles included
04:25episodes of shows like Boy Meets World. She's dipped her toes into as many creative fields
04:30as she can. She's a multi-talented woman who seems to enjoy every part of the arts.
04:35She appeared in a few music videos, combining her affinity for music and acting. They include
04:40the video for Brick by Ben Folds Five in 1997. She's even released her own music. Her album
04:47First Love came out on December 17, 1993. It was only released in Japan and is now rare and out of
04:54print, but you can find the songs on YouTube. She also released a cover of The Prayer by David
04:59Foster in September 2008. It was a duet with Chris M. Alport, who she's known since she was young.
05:06Experimenting with all these different art forms allowed her to find one which she truly loved.
05:11Once she did that, she knew she had to dig in full force.
05:15Why She Left Acting
05:17Fans noticed a long break in Ariana's schedule after her final music and films. She teased the
05:22idea of returning to Hollywood a few times, but they were nothing more than a twinkling in her
05:27mind. She eventually left acting permanently. What could make a talented actress like Ariana
05:33step away from the camera? She wanted to explore her other interests and passions.
05:37The primary driver was her love of art. She'd always been interested in painting and fine arts.
05:42That didn't leave her while she was an actress, but juggling both wasn't possible. She decided
05:47she had to choose between her two passions and consciously decided to choose the one
05:51that fulfilled her more. Ariana decided it was the better passion to devote her time to painting
05:57because it's her true passion in life. She only occasionally acts when she has a bit of extra
06:02time. She was also willing to put in the work to get her art career off the ground.
06:07She got a bachelor's degree in fine art and drama from Skidmore College. Ariana finds inspiration
06:12everywhere, but she says her major influences are historic painters such as Monet and Degas.
06:18As she has said, Monet understood how the light plays upon a figure or a landscape.
06:24It is those reflections that reveal the subject after all.
06:29So it's a matter of the light, but it's also a matter of the heart. That's what I paint.
06:36She's even a direct descendant of Italian painter Carlo Crivelli. Artistic expression
06:42seems to have been in her blood for generations. Unlike her small music catalog, her artwork isn't
06:48hard to find. She hasn't stopped painting since officially beginning her art career
06:52and has a growing portfolio to show off to future and former fans.
06:56Her work includes elements of impressionism and realism. It's all available to look at on
07:01her website Gallery Ariana. She enjoys getting to know her subjects before painting them and
07:07then capturing their essence forever. She's said that the calm backgrounds in her country home are
07:13the perfect background. I get really inspired to paint portraiture, I would say is my very
07:18favorite thing, especially when I paint people out in some kind of spontaneous location that
07:25they really enjoy. I enjoy getting to know what people's essence is like and then put that on the
07:30canvas in some really special way that they can treasure forever. She's created beautiful
07:35landscapes, portraits and other works. Her paintings have won her a slew of awards.
07:40Her piece Lady of the Dahlias received top honors at the National Professional Oil Painting
07:45Competition in 2005. She got the Award of Excellence from the Art of the West the next
07:50year. Her work has also been featured in several art museums. Yes, Ariana does paint dinosaurs from
07:57time to time. She even gets inspired by her most memorable scene from Jurassic Park. She recently
08:03said, I, um, my last painting of dinosaur was the self-portrait I did, uh, as Lex with the
08:10superimposed image of the raptor kind of going across my face. She brought her two passions
08:14full circle in honor of Jurassic Park's 30th anniversary. One of her more recent paintings
08:19was a huge 30 by 40 inch picture of a T-Rex crashing through a museum. It takes up six
08:25entire Instagram posts, each one a close-up to show it off in more detail. It's captioned with
08:31the words, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. The picture got a positive response from fans.
08:36They commented on her artistic ability. Many of them said they wish they could buy the painting
08:41and display it on their walls. All of her works are beautiful, but both of the Jurassic Park
08:46inspired pieces are standouts in her catalog. They're not only stunning pieces of art,
08:51but collectibles that any fans would fawn over. It shows she's found a way to live her true passion
08:56while honoring the role that let her reach her current heights. She's been enjoying a
09:00more peaceful family life since retiring from acting. She married Mark Aaron Bolton in January
09:062013 and had a daughter in 2015. They've been living together in Salem, Oregon since then.
09:12There may not be any more dangerous dinosaur fights in Ariana's life,
09:16but she's perfectly happy with it. She gave us one of the more memorable scenes in cinema,
09:21and now she's content to sit back and capture other people's memorable scenes with her paintbrush.
09:26Now it's time to hear from you. Who's your favorite multi-talented celebrity?
09:30Let us know in the comments section below.