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16 Secrets Behind The Making Of Clueless

Nobody expected a whole lot from Clueless when it was released in July of 1995. It appeared on the surface to be yet another teen comedy, largely indistinguishable from the hordes of others Hollywood had unleashed over the years.

But critics praised the movie, proclaiming it to be much smarter than it looked. Then audiences outside the core teen demographic started buying tickets for it, too, thanks to stellar word-of-mouth. In the end, the movie became a sleeper hit, evolving into a certified genre classic over time.

Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, who loosely based it on Jane Austen's classic novel Emma, Clueless made Alicia Silverstone a household name. She plays Cher, a popular, fashion-obsessed rich girl who joins together with best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash) to make over frumpy new-girl-in-school Tai (Brittany Murphy). The eternally optimistic Cher also finds love, in the form of her ex-step-brother Josh (Paul Rudd)

By all accounts, everyone in the cast got along and enjoyed working together. That doesn't mean the film's path to the screen was without bumps, though. This beloved comedy faced a variety of production challenges, some in front of the camera, others behind it. It is a testament to the movie's cheerful spirit that it managed to overcome each and every one of those obstacles to become the eminently re-watchable work that it is.

Here are 16 Secrets Behind The Making Of Clueless. 

Amy Heckerling directed 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the movie that kicked off the trend of teen comedies during that decade. Other filmmakers, most notably John Hughes, picked that ball up and ran with it, but her film remained one of the most popular and acclaimed. For that reason, Heckerling really wasn't looking to try topping her success by making another movie about adolescence. She was, however, looking to make a television show.

In 1993, she began developing a series called No Worries for Fox. It was a look at life among the popular kids in a California high school, anchored by an optimistic girl. As is often the case, network executives ultimately opted against bringing the show to pilot.

Heckerling's new agent told her not to despair, because he thought the idea could work as a movie, and actively began trying to line up a deal.

When Clueless transitioned from a TV idea to a feature film idea, 20th Century Fox stepped in and snagged the rights. The studio loved Heckerling's take on teen life - except for one fairly substantial detail. Execs wanted it to be more about the male characters, believing the audience wouldn't be big enough for a movie with a female lead.

The director told The Baltimore Sun, "They were worried about something that was so female-oriented. They kept pressuring me to create more of a life for the boys in the film, to create more of an ensemble piece." That idea went against her entire vision for the project, so she rejected it. Consequently, Fox put the script into turnaround.

Not long afterward, noted producer Scott Rudin got his hands on it, thought the female-centric angle was unique, and convinced Paramount to make Clueless instead, just as its creator wanted it.

Lots of hit movies have "almost was" casting stories, but Clueless is in a class by itself. Many young actors who went on to become big deals read for roles. Angelina Jolie auditioned, but was deemed too mature for a story about fun-loving kids. Terrence Howard, Johnny Galecki, Norman Reedus, and Henry Thomas also tried out.

Those aren't the only recognizable celebrities who might have populated the film.

Jeremy Renner was the second-place choice for Travis, Ben Affleck auditioned for Josh, Reese Witherspoon was up for Cher, and Dave Chappelle met with the casting director for Murray.

Sarah Michelle Gellar actually came extremely close to playing Amber. She was a cast member on the soap opera All My Children at the time. That show's producers refused to alter her shooting schedule so that she could take the role, which eventually went to Elisa Donovan.

One thing Amy Heckerling was adamant about was casting Clueless with age-appropriate actors. Many films cast performers who are well into their twenties to play teenagers. She knew that approach would work against the authentic feel she was aiming for. The majority of the actors were therefore in their late teens or very early twenties -- with one exception.

Stacey Dash was perfect for Dionne, nailing the character during her audition. That, combined with youthful looks that allowed her to credibly pass as a teen, convinced Heckerling to overlook the fact that the actress was 27.

To understand what a discrepancy that was, consider that Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy were, respectively, 18 and 17 when they filmed Clueless. 

Dash was even older than Paul Rudd, whose character is college age.

Another sign of her added maturity was that she had a 6-year-old child.

Carrie Frazier was the casting director on Clueless while it was at 20th Century Fox. She brought in different actors for Heckerling to see. Those she liked the most were invited to read for multiple roles, to give them a better chance of being right for something.

One of those lucky ones was Paul Rudd. He ended up getting the part of Josh, but he also auditioned for Christian and Elton.

There was one character Rudd really hoped to play, but couldn't. That was Murray.

"I thought Murray was kind of a white guy wanting to be black. I didn't realize he actually was black," he told Jen Chaney, author of the book As If, about the making of the film. Once he realized that Murray was not, as he assumed, "the white guy trying to co-opt black culture," he understood why they wouldn't let him read for that role.

As the main character, Alicia Silverstone is in almost every scene of Clueless. This fact meant that, on the two times she fell ill during production, filming ground to a halt.

The actress first became sick with stomach problems right before Christmas. The crew was able to rearrange the schedule to shoot one of the rare scenes without her, but no filming took place the following day due to her infirmity. Three weeks later, Silverstone became ill again. A doctor examined her and pronounced the issue serious enough to prevent working for a couple more days.

The entire production shut down until she felt better.

Silverstone, it turned out, was dealing with ulcers, brought on in part by the stress of long days and several back-to-back movies. Frozen yogurt was the only thing her system would tolerate during this period.

One of the ways that movies create a sense of reality is to use objects and locations that audiences will recognize. That's why your favorite movie characters sometimes drink a particular brand of soda or eat at a chain restaurant. When a movie becomes a big hit, such associations can be lucrative. One well-known eating establishment could have been associated with Clueless, yet refused to cooperate.

A scene in the screenplay had Cher and her friends dining at California Pizza Kitchen.

Permission to shoot in one of the chain's locations was denied because corporate bigwigs had a problem with the humor in the sequence. The characters were supposed to crack a few jokes about the breadsticks resembling a part of the male anatomy. CPK felt those jokes would negatively impact how customers viewed their food, and so refused permission.

The world of Clueless may look sunny, but offscreen it was quite the opposite. The movie filmed during an uncommonly wet January, leading to frustrating problems.

The crew rented out a real house to use as Cher's home. Non-essential crew went outside while scenes were being shot, then would come inside between takes to move lights and wires, fix makeup, and so on. Massive amounts of rain left the yard muddy, though. As a result, the house's floors ended up sustaining damage from people tracking that mud inside.

Additionally, equipment trucks were parked near the Sepulveda basin. When it started flooding due to several straight days of rain, rangers came and informed the production team that they needed to be moved ASAP, or risk being lost.

A scene involving the Mighty Mighty Bosstones was also affected. Their intended outdoor performance was moved indoors due to the weather.

Breckin Meyer plays Travis, the laid-back skateboarder dude. The actor enjoyed skateboarding for real, so he was open to doing much of his own riding for the film. While that gave it a bit of realism, things went wrong when he sustained an injury while preparing for a scene.

Rehearsing a skate competition sequence in Long Beach, California, Meyer attempted to navigate the half-pipe. He came down wrong on his foot, causing him to sprain his ankle. After being examined by an on-set medic, he was transported to the emergency room at St. Mary's Medical Center. Doctors treated Meyer, and he was allowed to return to work the following day.

There was a caveat, though: he could only return on crutches and was not supposed to do any walking scenes. Some clever staging was used to prevent him from having to amble around.

Everyone who has seen Clueless remembers the "suck and blow" scene. In it, the characters play a game in which they pass a credit card to each other using only their lips. One person has to blow the card to the next person, who sucks it fast to their mouth. There's an impressive unbroken shot in which five of the actors accomplish this task.

That shot was not easy to get. Credit cards, it turns out, are heavier than you'd think when you only have your breath to keep then aloft.

Some of the stars were unable to suck in long enough to pass it to the next individual, causing it to drop.

Eventually, the producers commissioned a fake credit card made of cardboard, so that it would be easier to achieve. Look closely and you'll see it bend onscreen.

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