Ariana Richards : biography
Ariana Clarice Richards (born September 11, 1979) is an American actress and professional painter. She is best known for her roles as Mindy Sterngood in Tremors, Lex Murphy in the film Jurassic Park, and as Carol Wetherby in the film Prancer.
Acting
Ariana Richards made her acting debut in 1987’s Into the Homeland, a made-for-cable release that starred Powers Boothe. Her most notable appearance was as Lex Murphy in the first Jurassic Park film; she reprised the role very briefly in the sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. She also appeared as Mindy Sterngood in the first Tremors film and reprised her role in the second sequel Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, which went straight to video. She has been featured in other films such as Angus, where she played a high school cheerleader; she also appeared on television episodes of The Golden Girls, Empty Nest and Boy Meets World.
In addition to acting in movies, Ariana appeared in the 1998 music video "Brick" by Ben Folds Five, portraying a high school student having an abortion. She appeared in the September 2006 issue of the British movie magazine Empire discussing a possible return to acting.
Ariana will next appear in the 2013 film Battledogs, shot in Buffalo, New York.http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120918/CITYANDREGION/120919050/1109
Awards
- Favourite Newcomer – Japan: Jurassic Park (1994)
- Favourite Newcomer – Australia: Jurassic Park (1994)
- Favourite Newcomer – United Kingdom: Jurassic Park (1994)
- The Bambi Award: Jurassic Park (1993)
- Young Artist Award – Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Jurassic Park (1993)
- Young Artist Award – Best Young Actress in a Television Movie: Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage (1992)
- Young Artist Award – Best Young Actress in a Television Movie: Switched At Birth (1991)
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | The|Golden Girls}} | Lisa | Television programEpisode: "And Then There Was One" |
1987 | Into the Homeland | Ember Swallow (age 5 & 7) | Television film |
1988 | My Sister Sam | Morgan | Television programEpisode: "Life, Death and Admiral Andy" |
1988 | I’m Gonna Git You Sucka | Little Girl | |
1989 | Face of the Enemy | Voice only | |
1989 | Empty Nest | Phoebe Swenson | Television programEpisode: "Harry Snubs Laverne" |
1989 | Prancer | Carol Wetherby | |
1990 | Tremors | Mindy Sterngood | |
1990 | Island Son | Tess Delaney | Television programEpisode: "Viruses" |
1990 | Spaced Invaders | Kathy | |
1990 | The|Incident|dab = TV movie}} | Nancy | Television film |
1991 | Switched at Birth | Kimberly Mays, Age 9-11 | Television film |
1992 | Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage | Kelly Gallagher | Television film |
1992 | Timescape | Hillary Wilson | |
1992 | Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore | Nancy | Television film |
1993 | Jurassic Park | Lex Murphy | |
1995 | Capitol Critters | President’s Granddaughter | Voice onlyTelevision programEpisode: "If Lovin’ You Is Wrong, I Don’t Wanna Be Rat" |
1995 | Angus | Melissa Lefevre | |
1996 | Born Free: A New Adventure | Valerie Porter | Television film |
1996 | Boy Meets World | Claire Ferguson | Television programEpisode: "Dangerous Secret" |
1997 | The|Lost World: Jurassic Park}} | Lex Murphy | |
1997 | Total Security | Karen Dieboldt | Television programEpisode: "Who’s Poppa?" |
1997 | The|Princess Stallion|nolink = 1}} | Sarah Stewart | Television film |
1998 | Race Against Fear | Mickey Carlyle | Television film |
2001 | Tremors 3: Back to Perfection | Mindy Sterngood | Direct-to-video |
2007 | 77 | ||
2013 | Battledogs | Donna Voorhees | Was titled "Ward’s Island" on The Yo Show. Accessed October 19, 2012. |
Art
Richards has become a successful artist. Her paintings, usually of landscapes and figures, tend to be in the style of the impressionists. In October 2005, she won first place in the National Professional Oil Painting Competition (sponsored by American Artist Magazine) for the painting Lady of the Dahlias.
She currently resides in Salem, Oregon, and is apprenticing under a professional painter.
Awards
- Art of the West’s Award of Excellence (2006)
- The National Professional Oil Painting Competition (2005)
Personal life
Ariana was born in Healdsburg, California, the daughter of Darielle (née Garrison), a public relations representative and film producer, and Gary Richards. Her sister, Bethany, is also an actress. Her maternal grandmother, who was of Italian ancestry, was a descendant of Renaissance painter Carlo Crivelli.http://www.bollmanfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/116859/Parmelee-Alma/obituary.phphttp://www.galleryariana.com/carlo-crivelli/ Ariana is also a descendant of boxer John L. Sullivan.
Ariana graduated from Skidmore College, earning a degree in Fine Art and Drama, with distinction. She continued with instruction at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and also attended Western Oregon University.
Music
In 1993, Richards released the album First Love on the Pony Canyon label in Japan. The album was a mix between teen-pop and dance friendly ballads of the early 1990s. There was also a single released in very small volume. Ariana and her mother wrote the words to the track "You’re the Reason".
Ariana returned briefly to the world of music in 2009, recording a cover version of David Foster’s "The Prayer" in a duet with Chris M. Allport, whom she has known since a young age.