Clueless star Elisa Donovan surfaces on Australian television 26 years after starring in teen flick

She played high school ‘mean girl’ Amber in the iconic 1995 teen film Clueless.

And Elisa Donovan resurfaced on Australian television this week looking every inch the silver-screen siren, more than two decades after her rise to fame. 

The 50-year-old was interviewed on Today Extra on Monday and reflected on the success of Clueless, which also starred Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd and Stacey Dash.

Remember me? Clueless star Elisa Donovan, 50, resurfaced on Australian television this week looking every inch the silver-screen siren, more than two decades after her rise to fame

When asked whether she’d expected the film to become such a cult classic, Elisa replied: ‘I can pretty unequivocally say no, I did not expect that to be the case.’ 

‘But, I mean, we certainly kind of knew there was something magical going on. It seemed like all the pieces were fitting together, and everybody was just really at the top of their game, and so we kind of knew it would be successful,’ she added. 

‘But I don’t think we figured we would still be quoted on the street today.’ 

She’s barely aged a day! She was interviewed on Today Extra on Monday (right) and reflected on the success of ’90s comedy Clueless. Left: Elisa in the mid ’90s

After appearing in the Clueless movie, the red-headed star reprised her character in the spin-off television series, which aired for three seasons from 1996 to 1999. 

She went onto nab a starring role on the popular teen sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch as Morgan, playing one of Sabrina’s college housemates. 

During her interview, Elisa heaped praise upon her Sabrina co-star Melissa Joan Heart (who played the show’s titular role), describing the actress as ‘inclusive, super fun and very smart.’ 

Success story: After appearing in the Clueless movie, the red-headed star reprised her character in the spin-off television series, which aired for three seasons from 1996 to 1999. Pictured with Stacey Dash (left) and Alicia Silverstone (right) 

The star also took a moment to spruik her new memoir ‘Wake Me Up When You Leave’, which lifts the lid on a number of personal tragedies – including the cancellation of Sabrina, losing her relationship and her father’s sudden death from cancer. 

‘My life turned upside down,’ she told Today Extra.

‘I went from having a clear understanding of who I was, where I was going and what was happening to everything kind of systematically being taken away.’ 

Iconic roles: She went onto nab a starring role on the popular teen sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch as Morgan, one of Sabrina’s college housemates. Pictured left in an episode of Sabrina, 1996 

Heartbreak: The star also took a moment to spruik her new memoir ‘Wake Me Up When You Leave’, which lifts the lid on a number of personal tragedies – including the cancellation of Sabrina, losing her relationship and her father’s sudden death from cancer. Pictured in 2017

Elisa said she used writing as a way to cope with the grief that marred her formative years in the film industry. 

‘I’ve always been a writer and that’s always been a way that I’ve used to express my creativity and also to heal and work through things,’ she said. 

Despite the ‘depressing’ circumstances that inspired her memoir, Elisa insisted that book itself is actually ‘very funny’ and positive.  

‘I really hope that this book is a hopeful book to people, and that it really allows people to see that we can come through challenges, and come to the other side and these things can enhance our lives,’ she said.   

‘A way that I’ve used to express my creativity and also to heal and work through things’: Elisa said she used writing as a way to cope with the grief that marred her formative years in the film industry. Pictured in 2019