At the time of its release, Donald Faison never anticipated the massive success that the movie Clueless would become. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Faison, now 49, admitted, “I had no clue [the film would take off]. I was just happy to be in a studio film, to be honest with you.”
Faison recalled how film producer Adam Schroeder assured him that the 1995 comedy would be a big hit, but he had his doubts. “I looked at him like, ‘You’re out of your mind. I don’t even understand what we’re saying in this. There’s no way America’s going to understand… If I don’t understand it, there’s no way,’” he said. However, he was proved wrong, and he’s grateful he was mistaken. “30 years later we’re still talking about it,” Faison said.
Clueless has established itself as an iconic film since its release. The movie revolves around Cher (Alicia Silverstone), a popular high school student in Beverly Hills. When Cher transforms a new student named Tai (Brittany Murphy), she witnesses Tai’s popularity skyrocket. The film was so successful that it even spawned a sitcom spinoff that aired for three seasons from 1996 to 1999.
In the film and the TV series, Faison portrayed Murray, Dion’s boyfriend. Faison shared that he attempted to channel Ice Cube’s vibe for his character, describing Murray as a “gangster wannabe.” Faison even revealed that during the auditions, he showed up with bandanas and baggy jeans hanging low, trying to embody the role.
As for Murray’s whereabouts now, Faison humorously stated, “I’m still in Africa running the country” referring to Murray’s storyline in the sitcom spinoff.
When asked about a potential Clueless revival, Faison expressed his interest in reprising his role but only if the original film’s writer and director, Amy Heckerling, is involved. He mentioned that there have been talks of a reboot and that it became officially official when Paul Rudd expressed his willingness to participate. However, Faison acknowledged that getting the entire cast together would be a challenge as everyone is busy with their own projects.
For now, Faison is focused on his current project, NBC’s Extended Family. The sitcom follows the story of Jim (Jon Cryer) and his ex-wife Julia (Abigail Spencer) as they navigate a co-parenting relationship while Julia starts a new life with her fiancé, Trey (Faison). Faison expressed his excitement about the show and how it has been a dream come true to work alongside Cryer.
If you want to catch Faison in action, make sure to tune in to Extended Family on NBC every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, or stream it the next day on Peacock.
