As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Clueless has set the bar high for iconic teenage rom-coms. Ever since its 1995 release, the flick has gifted us with iconic quotes, classic ’90s fashion moments and the charming nature of Paul Rudd, of course.
And while it’s been a quarter-century since it graced our screens, the film’s legacy continues to live on in pop-culture through behind-the-scenes facts, where the fashion is today and the surprising actors who almost scored parts in the film.
Below, we’ve rounded up xx of the most interest behind-the-scene facts from Clueless, that will surely have you planning a re-watch.
“As If!” And “Totally Buggin'” Were Pulled From A Slang Dictionary
The colloquial chat in Clueless is iconic, to say the least. But when creating the film, director Amy Heckerling referred to a slang dictionary to spice up the teenage vernacular in the film. Speaking to Interview, Heckerling noted: “I read one slang dictionary…this was before you could find anything online. I think that had the Baldwins and the Monets. An actor came in and said ‘aggro,’ and he said, ‘Can I say ‘postal?’ I went, ‘Sure.’ It seemed like such a great descriptive word.”
Alicia Silverstone Tried Over 60 Costumes For The Movie
Along with Mona May, the film’s costume designer, Heckerling and May collaborated to coordinate the iconic looks, like that yellow plaid suit. In an interview with 20/20, Alicia Silverstone recalled the countless outfit changes she went through for the film.
“I remember being so exhausted with costume fittings because I just didn’t have any fashion sense at all at that age,” she said. “So when I had to try 63 things on, I was just like, ‘This is painful.'” Meanwhile, Rudd reportedly wore most of his own clothes on the set.
Reese Witherspoon And Kerry Washington Were Almost Cast In Clueless
While Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington have been promoting their new series Little Fires Everywhere, both of the esteemed actors revealed that they actually auditioned for the 1995 film.
“I auditioned so hard for Clueless and I didn’t get it,” Witherspoon revealed to BuzzFeed. “I did too!” Washington admitted, before suggesting they try their hands at a remake of a scene from the classic film.
The Movie Was Originally Pitched As A Television Show
Before Clueless took off as a quintessential ’90s flick, Heckerling pitched the film to Fox as a television series. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heckerling admitted: “[W]hen I first pitched it as a TV show, it was called No Worries. Twentieth Century Fox said they wanted a show about teenagers—but not the nerds. They wanted it to be about the cool kids.”
However, after the success of the movie, there was a teen sitcom that aired, called Clueless, and there might be an upcoming mystery television series in the works as well.
Kim Kardashian West Actually Owns The Iconic Clueless Closet
One of the most memorable scenes in the film was that of Cher Horowitz impressive closet, that was fitted with an app-like data base where she could collate potential outfits on-screen before she needed to try them on. And while we all searched high and low for a closet just like it, Kim Kardashian West came out and told us that it exists–and in her home, no less.
Speaking to W Magazine, Kardashian West explained that she uses an app to log all of her clothing, and whether they reside in her wardrobe, or rather in a temperature-controlled storage facility. She said: “I have a process of editing. I have this app that has everything photographed and everything has a number so I can say, ‘Hey, this item was pulled.’ As we take things out, I log it out or log it back in.”
Alicia Silverstone Was Cast As Cher Because Of Her Cameo In Aerosmith’s Music Video
It seems that Alicia Silverstone landed her role as Cher Horowitz because Heckerling saw her in Aerosmith’s music video for “Cryin’” and felt she was perfect. In Jen Chaney’s book As If!: The Oral History Of Clueless, Heckerling noted: “I was watching an Aerosmith video of “Cryin””. That was the first video she was in. And I just fell in love with her. Then my friend Carrie Frazier said, ‘You have to see this girl in The Crush.’ And I was like, ‘No, I want the Aerosmith girl.’ Well, it was the same girl.”
Tai’s “Virgin Who Can’t Drive” Line Came From Heckerling’s Life
In an interview with Vice, Heckerling admitted that Tai’s iconic line came directly from her own life. “Well, that was me! For a very long time. You take the thing that embarrassed you most, and you use it” she stated.
Silverstone’s Mispronunciation Of Haitians Was An Honest Mistake
Speaking to Vogue U.S., Heckerling revealed that Silverstone’s mispronunciation of Haitians (hay-tee-uns) wasn’t on purpose. But Heckerling loved it so much that she decided to keep it in the film.
“She [Silverstone] had the script and she was doing her lines and as soon as I said ‘cut,’ the script woman and everyone in the crew started to walk up to her to tell her the right pronunciation and I had to run interference and go, ‘Step away from the actress. Stand clear of Alicia Silverstone’,” she said, noting Silverstone’s confident delivery of the iconic debate class anecdote about partying with the Haitians.
The Freak Out On The Freeway Was Based on Heckerling’s Fear of Driving
There are a plethora of memorable scenes in Clueless, but one of the most legendary was Dion’s hilariously terrifying trip down the highway. Speaking to Vogue U.S., Heckerling revealed that the scene was based on her own fear of driving. “Any time I wind up in the lane where you can’t quickly turn off of it and it’s turning into the freeway, I just start screaming until I’m off of it,” she admitted.
Mr. Hall Was Based On A Real Teacher
The character of Mr. Hall was based on an actual drama teacher who taught at a Beverly Hills high school. The actual teacher, Herb Hall, even made a brief cameo as the principal in the movie. According to a Beverly Hills Courier profile, he retired back in 2014.
“There’s something about teaching. I love watching the kids grow as performers and people. To see them progress…from terrified freshman to accomplished seniors,” Hall told the Courier. Another fun fact: Wallace Shawn, who played Mr. Hall, was actually a teacher before becoming an actor, according to Philly magazine.
Jeremy Sisto Improvised The “Rollin’ With My Homies” Dance
A dance move that remains one of the most memorable scenes from the film, the “Rollin’ With My Homies” scene was actually improvised. Jeremy Sisto, who played Elton, made up the dance moves on his own. Speaking to Vulture, Sisto revealed, “I think I made that [dance] up. I don’t think we had a choreographer. I did my go-to, funny, whatever-I-thought-was-a-douchey dance at the time.”
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