90s child star, 43, looks unrecognisable playing a mum in new TV show 31 years after early fame and stalker hell
KIDS of the 90s will well remember fondly the hit TV show, The Secret World of Alex Mack.
The show made a star out of its young leading actress Larisa Oleynik, who is now 43 and starring in a brand new TV show.
It's hard for 90s kids to forget Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack.
The hit show ran from 1994 to 1998 and saw Larisa play an average kid that acquires magical powers after an accident.
The success of the show led to more roles, which included 10 Things I Hate About You, The Baby-Sitters Club and Boy Meets World.
Now all grown up, Larisa is back on TV and plays Sylvie in Nickelodeon's Erin and Aaron.
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The show follows two young musicians as they try to find fame, and Larisa plays Aaron's mum.
BEING A CHILD STAR
Larisa has previously opened up about being a child star and the impact it had on her life.
Speaking to morbidlybeautiful.com she said: "I was 12 when I started doing Alex Mack.
"It was challenging for me, and when I started getting recognized and stuff it was very confusing.
"I was shuttling back and forth to my real life living in northern California.
We’d travel to southern California to film and then go back to northern California to be in school."
Continuing she said: "So I was trying to maintain some sense of normalcy, whatever a normal childhood even means.
"But it would get confusing sometimes when I’d be hanging out with my friends and someone would recognize me. I was very self conscious about it."
Larisa added: "As I’ve grown up, I think this is something I’m still trying to figure out, trying to take on a public persona but also be able to leave it as I need to.
"But as I’ve gotten older, people seem to have a relationship with me, or a relationship with a certain character I played as if we’ve grown up together.
"And that’s something I really appreciate more and more. I think there’s a lot of value in that."
The actress concluded by saying: "I feel pretty lucky to be a part of that — especially when it’s positive (laughs).
"Most people who feel an association with me or the characters I’ve played have been pretty positive."
STALKER HELL
in 2013, Larisa was granted a restraining order against an alleged stalker.
The actress petitioned an LA judge to receive protection against Josh Hathaway due to a bizarre series of messages he is accused of sending her.
The actress's attorneys claimed in court documents that Hathaway sent a series of gifts and notes to Oleynik's mother, according to TMZ.
LIFE AFTER ANNIE MACK
Over the years Larisa has starred in numerous TV shows, which included a stint on Mad Men, where she played Ken Cosgrove's fiancée.
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Speaking about the role, Larisa told AMC.com: "I'm such a nerd for the show, and obviously I've done a lot of TV guest work, but this is the first time I've gone into a show just being such a huge fan and having seen every single episode — with commentary — probably three times."
Other shows that she has starred in includes Hawaii Five-O, Pretty Little Liars and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.