Alicia Silverstone gave up on acting because she "wasn't happy" in Hollywood

She told The Hollywood Reporter: "When 'Clueless' came out, it really shifted. I had been the girl from 'Crush', then I was the Aerosmith chick, and then, after that, I was Cher. It was very complicated and I don't think I knew how to manage it: I didn't have the foundation, the good tools to deal with it, I wasn't prepared for it in any way, shape, or form. I really had no idea what was happening, and it didn't feel comfortable."

Alicia went on to land a big money movie deal and appear in the widely-panned comic book blockbuster 'Batman and Robin' but the actress says she wasn't enjoying herself and decided to step away from Hollywood by the end of the 1990s.

She explained: "I wasn't happy and what I did was really extract myself a bit from my acting career and went more into my activism.

"I went to Africa. to help the elephants, I went to Peru to try to help the rainforest. I found my passion for writing books on healing and health. The Kind Diet books came a bit later but that was the start of the journey there."

Alicia didn't give up acting completely and took a number of smaller parts over the years, but has since been throwing herself back into bigger roles again after falling back in love with acting while appearing in David Mamet's play 'Boston Marriage' in 2007.

She said: "It was there, when I was on stage, doing a David Mamet play, being directed by David Mamet, it reminded me how much I really, really love acting, And I was sad I'd let go of so much of it. There were so many amazing opportunities that I said no to, because I didn't feel able. But after that play, I thought, 'Geez, I'd really love to do that again'."

Alicia concluded: "It's isn't easy, being an activist, a mother and an actress all at the same time. But I'm doing my best ... As for acting, I'll keep finding a way to dabble, to stay in there."