-> 

v

"Jurassic Park is a legacy and a classic. Steven Spielberg created something pretty spectacular."

 -> 

v

After making a film like Jurassic Park (1993) at a young age, there's not much left to prove in Hollywood, so you can't blame Ariana Richards for losing interest in pursuing film acting as a career as she progressed into adulthood. In recent years, Richards has mostly been focused on her career as a fine artist, creating stunning photorealistic paintings of cozy country living with bright, sunny auras.

Running From The Monsters

 -> 

v

Born September 11, 1979 in Heraldsburg, California to public relations rep Darielle and film producer Gary Richards, Richards got her start in acting with the TV film Into the Homeland (1987) with Powers Boothe. A few small roles would follow, including a voice-over gig for Face of the Enemy (1989), and the part of Carol Wetherby in Prancer (1989), a Canadian Christmas film about the reindeer of the same name.

While her big breakthrough role would be Jurassic Park, it wasn't the first time she was running from giant bloodthirsty beasts. She had a memorable part in Tremors (1990) as Mindy Sterngood. You'll remember her as the young girl bouncing around on her pogo stick, drawing the attention of the underground "graboids."

 -> 

v

Over the next few years she featured in a number of theatrical films including Spaced Invaders (1990), a sci-fi comedy, and Timescape (1992), and several made-for-TV movies, like Switched at Birth (1991), Locked Up: A Mother's Rage (1992) and The Incident (1990). In fact, she won two Young Artist Awards for Best Young Actress in a Television Movie for Locked Up and Switched At Birth. While she wasn't yet a star, she was certainly an accomplished performer before ever meeting with Steven Spielberg.

Of course, Jurassic Park would be the film that really gave her her footing in the movie industry. If there was a defining movie of the 90s, it was Jurassic Park. The movie instantly became one of the biggest hits of the decade, of Spielberg's career, and of all time. The highest-grossing film of 1993, the twenty-eighth biggest earner of all time and the twenty-ninth in the US, picking up a worldwide gross of just under a billion dollars worldwide on release, back before any movie had ever earned a billion dollars.

 -> 

v

"It's actually really interesting, when I look at it, I ask, 'How has my life changed since being Lex?' And I can literally walk into just about any city in the world and people will know who I am."

The movie had a lot going for it. Spielberg was at his most creative and visionary at the time, the blend of then-innovative CGI with practical effects, and of course, the cast. Filling out an impressive ensemble, Ariana Richards as Lex Murphy and Joseph Mazzello as her brother Tim Murphy were the heart of the film. In order to really communicate the wonder of dinosaurs, it was important to have characters who could react with unadulterated awe. No matter how good the creatures looked, if Mazzello and Richards couldn't sell it with their reactions, it would have all felt a little underwhelming. The two young actors nailed it, and they received their fair share of critical acclaim for their part in the landmark film.

 -> 

v

For her part, Ariana Richards won no less than five awards: A Bambi, a Young Artist Award, and "Favorite Newcomer" in Japan, Australia and the UK.

Painting With Light

Following the release of Jurassic Park, Ariana Richards' filmography grows a bit sparse. She featured in Angus (1995), and hasn't had a major credit since Battledogs (2013). Between these two movies, her only film credits had her reprising her roles in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001). For many actresses, this is a sign that casting directors simply aren't sure what to do with them while they're at that awkward stage between child roles and grown-up roles. For Richards it may owe more to a lack of interest in capitalizing on the momentum of Jurassic Park.

Throughout the late 90s she spent most of her time studying Fine Art and Drama at Skidmore College, graduating in 2001 before going on to Pasadena's Art Center College of Design. After starring in arguably the biggest movie of the 90s, Ariana Richards simply chose to leave Hollywood on her own times. Not that she has completely given up acting, but it's no longer a priority in her life. "Acting is in your blood, and of course I'll always be interested in it."

Today she is primarily devoted to her painting. Her work leans towards photorealism but with a hyper-realistic approach to lighting. Whether she's painting a woman picking flowers or a child on the beach, she imbues every piece with a magical atmosphere that seems to draw a connection between country life and high fantasy. The next big movie part might be right around the corner, but it's going to have to be something really special if they hope to tear her away from her studio.

"Sometimes I'm on the pulse of what's happening in Hollywood, but other times, I'm just totally absorbed by what I'm creating on the easel."