Whatever Happened To The Star Of Drag Me To Hell

Alison Lohman's career began at a young age in her hometown of Palm Springs, California. Though she lived close to Hollywood, the young actress didn't have much exposure to the celebrity lifestyle. As she told The Baltimore Sun, the closest contact she had with a celebrity was when her father built a home for the famous golfer Arnold Palmer.

Though she grew up outside the Hollywood life, Lohman was drawn to the theater. Her first professional role was Gretl in The Sound of Music at Palm Desert's McCallum Theater when she was nine years old. Eventually, people began to take notice of Alison's talents. Notably, Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope saw her in a show, and were so impressed that they asked her to sing with them at a concert.

Lohman was given an award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts after graduating high school. She was also offered a scholarship to the New York University School of the Arts, which she turned down. Following high school, she moved to Los Angeles and began her screen career with minor TV roles, appearing in Pacific Blue and 7th Heaven. In 2002, she earned a role in the film White Oleander, playing the part of oft-uprooted teenager Astrid Magnussen. The following year, Lohman landed another significant role as Sandra Bloom in Tim Burton's Big Fish. In the 2006 film Flicka, she played the starring role of Katy McLaughlin. Her career seemed to be on a meteoric rise.

Though many were excited to see Alison Lohman take on another significant film role, her next performance was only a minor one in Gamer, from directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. This over-the-top sci-fi thriller takes place in a future where the world's most popular video game allows players to take control of real-life death row inmates in mortal combat. Alison plays the character Trace, a member of an activist group known as the Humanz. 

In an interview with Syfi, Lohman spoke about her initial reaction upon first reading the script for the film. According to the actress, "It turned out better than I expected, to be honest... I read the script, and a lot of the time, reading the scripts, it doesn't even give an idea of the tone of the movie or a lot of the other different aspects. So when the director gets involved, they have such their own take on it, and both Mark and Brian are very strong."

Unfortunately, Gamer received a much less enthusiastic reception than Drag Me to Hell. Afterward, developments in Lohman's personal life would call for the actress to step away from the spotlight.

But what does one do with their life when not training a wild stallion, being dragged to hell, or participating in a gladiatorial blood match? For Alison Lohman, the answer was to start a family, remaining careful to maintain a certain amount of privacy as she did so. Shortly following the couple's marriage, she and Neveldine welcomed their first child, Billy Neveldine, in 2010... though they didn't make the birth public knowledge for months. A second child expanded their family not long after. In 2018, Neveldine took to Twitter to announce the arrival of "baby #3."

Lohman and Neveldine have been mostly successful at keeping the details about their private lives out of the public eye. It seems likely that a focus on her family and to desire protect the privacy of her children have caused the actress to step away from significant roles in recent years, opting instead for minor appearances, particularly in projects which also involve her husband.

In the 2016 indie thriller Urge, a few well-off friends arrive on an island to enjoy a weekend of partying. Shortly after they settle in, the group heads to a bar and runs into a mysterious nightclub owner who exposes them to a new drug called Urge. He warns the group that the drug will allow them to "cleanse themselves," but that they can only take Urge once, or else there will be consequences. After taking the drug, the group has euphoric fantasies and quickly becomes intoxicated with the ecstasy it provides. Ignoring the warning from the nightclub owner, they indulge again, hoping to prolong their night of fun. Unfortunately, the pleasant evening begins to take a nasty turn when their fantasies turn into nightmares, and each member of the group becomes anxious and violent. 

The few critics who saw fit to review Urge panned it — it currently sits with a rare 0% critical score to complement the 27% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lohman's role amounts to a cameo in a brief post-credit scene where she plays a mother shopping at a grocery store who stumbles upon a group of violent-looking shoppers. It's likely that she took the gig as something of a family favor, considering that Neveldine served as one of Urge's producers.

Since her last role as Sister Blister in Officer Downe, Lohman has not appeared in any other films or television shows, having seemingly stepped away from acting. However, she hasn't completely left the public sphere or the dramatic arts. In 2017, she announced the launch of her new website, Act with Alison, where she offers up her services as an online acting coach.

"I've always enjoyed helping my friends with their craft," she explains in the site's introductory video. "I've had so much fun that I've decided to bring it to you." Communicating via Skype with aspiring actors ages five and up, her services include one-on-one coaching for both monologues and scenes, accompanied by general advice about the craft of acting. Lohman's most recent enterprise shows no sign of slowing, as she continues to advertise her coaching services on her Twitter account. While she may be taking a break from her own acting career, she has seemingly switched gears and hopes to help other young actors improve their skills by sharing her knowledge and expertise.