Why Queen Marlena From Masters Of The Universe: Revelations Sounds So Familiar
Appearing in multiple versions of the "Masters of the Universe" franchise, Queen Marlena rules Eternia alongside her husband King Randor and is the mother of twins Prince Adam, aka He-Man, and Princess Adora. Later versions of the character have also emphasized Marlena's skill as a leader and as a former pilot.
In several incarnations of the series, it is implied that Marlena suspects Adam is secretly He-Man but keeps quiet about the subject in public. Her belief is confirmed in the new Netflix series, "Masters of the Universe: Revelation," when He-Man (Chris Wood) seemingly dies, and she immediately tells King Randor (Diedrich Bader), "We've lost our son!" He-Man's sacrifice is more complicated than it seems though, as Marlena and the other characters soon discover.
Marlena has been played in cartoon form by several actors over the years, including Linda Gary in the '80s series and Nicole Oliver in the 2002 version. However, there is a good reason that her voice in the new show sounds like someone you've heard before.
Alicia Silverstone had an iconic star turn in Clueless
Alicia Silverstone got her start in entertainment after appearing in three major '90's music videos for Aerosmith, including "Cryin'" and "Crazy." In 1994, she was cast by director Amy Heckerling in arguably her greatest role as Cher Horowitz in "Clueless" (via The Washington Post). A modern remake of Jane Austen's "Emma" set in the consumer paradise of Beverly Hills, the bubbly Cher tries to help the people around her fall in love even though she's no expert herself.
Aided by a smart script, Silverstone ably played the privileged but well-meaning Beverly Hills high schooler with a self-aware wit. The ensemble cast that included Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, and Stacey Dash all contributed to the film's success, but without Silverstone's performance, "Clueless" wouldn't have worked nearly as well.
The film's clever humor and memorable catchphrases made it a solid sleeper hit, grossing $56 million on a $12 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) in 1995, and it quickly became a beloved cult film on video too. Silverstone's stardom seemed all but assured.
She was Batgirl along with Batman & Robin
Alicia Silverstone seemed set for bigger stardom in Hollywood circa 1997. Becoming part of the main cast of "Batman & Robin" should have been an easy success for her, but it was actually a major setback. Silverstone plays Barbara Pennyworth in the movie, the danger-seeking niece of butler Alfred (Michael Gough). Barbara discovers the Batcave and soon suits up as Batgirl along with Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell).
However, whether because of the many ice puns or the garish action, the film didn't do as well as expected at the box office or with fans (via Bomb Report). The pun-heavy Joel Schumacher movie would go down in history as one of the worst superhero films ever made.
Eventually, Silverstone acknowledged that she didn't want to be a real movie star and stepped back from her burgeoning career. The actress told The Guardian in a 2015 interview that "there's no support or schooling on...when you suddenly [find] yourself famous as a young woman. It was just too much for me."
Instead, Silverstone focused on smaller film, television, and stage projects, including her first major voiceover role in an animated series.
Silverstone voiced the super-powered Braceface
On the 2001 Disney Channel animated series "Braceface," Alicia Silverstone didn't just serve as the voice of the main character, Sharon Spitz, for the first two seasons — she was also an executive producer on the show (via IMDb).
Sharon is a junior high student with a strange secret: her braces are electrically charged, so she can remotely operate machines and even discharge electricity into other objects and people. However, these abilities aren't really in her control and they often cause more complications for the preteen than she can handle.
Silverstone deliberately gave the teen her squeaky voice because "I have tried to make her sound really cute, sweet and silly...Every young girl could identify with this girl" (via The Sun-Sentinel). Eventually, the actress left the voiceover role to work on other projects, with Stacey DePass taking over for Season 3 until the show ended afterward. But "Braceface" is still well-remembered by millennials because of its relatable stories of middle school embarrassment.
She plays a single mom in The Baby-Sitters Club
The actor's most prominent screen role of late has been in the Netflix series "The Baby-Sitters Club," based on the Ann M. Martin books. On the show, Alicia Silverstone has a supporting part as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, the mother of Kristy (Sophie Grace).
Elizabeth has a complicated relationship with Kristy compared to other mothers and daughters, in part because of Kristy's independence and Elizabeth's own new relationship with Watson (Mark Feuerstein), but the pair also love each other.
Silverstone told Good Housekeeping, "What I love about the show is that these kids are all growing and learning...And so are the parents and everybody. We all are, right?" More than 25 years after "Clueless," she seems happy to have aged into parts written for mothers and older women. With characters like Elizabeth and Marlena, "I don't think of them as mother roles, I think of them as women who happen to be mothers who are dealing with whatever struggles they're dealing with" (via Entertainment Weekly).