Ariana Richards shot to fame at the tender age of 13 when she starred as Lex Murphy in the 1993 film Jurassic Park. And while she seemed to be destined for success, picking up several Young Artist Awards for her acting capabilities, her Hollywood career was short-lived as she decided to pursue a different passion entirely.
After making a cameo in the blockbuster's sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, in 1997, Ariana's acting was reserved to just a few much smaller productions, as she chose to focus on becoming an artist. And it appears she is just as talented as art as she is as acting; the 47-year-old often showcases her latest artwork with her loyal Instagram followers, and also offers a glimpse at her life away from the big screen more than 30 years on.
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© Getty ImagesLoyal to Jurassic Park
She may have largely left the acting business behind, but Ariana remains loyal to the film franchise where she found her fame, and attended a cast reunion event in March 2026. The former child star looked worlds away from her most-famous role, wearing an eye-catching lime green ensemble and trainers to reflect on the iconic film.
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© FilmMagicA fan favourite over 30 years on
Ariana made another rare high profile outing to attend the premiere of Jurassic World Dominion in 2022. Despite decades passing since her role in the film, Ariana has admitted she still gets recognised from it, telling Interview magazine: "Amazingly enough, it still happens. And I've come to be aware of the signs. I'll notice people whispering to each other and acting nervous."
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© Getty ImagesShe's open to a return to acting
Although she has pursued a career in art, Ariana says she's not given up acting completely and would be open to returning to the business if the right role came along. "People ask me, 'So did you step away from acting or decide to leave the business?' I let them know it's not about making a choice. Acting is always going to be something that's in my blood," she told Interview.
"It's more that my interest has been really taken by visual art and doing the oil paintings for people. But at the same time, I still have an agent. If some really interesting role came along and found me, I'm sure I'd be thrilled to do it."
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From actor to artist
Ariana shared a look at her artistic process in a recent Instagram post, as she sat in a cosy space sketching a new portrait. It marked a return to social media for the Jurassic Park star, who took some time away to mourn the death of her former co-star, Sam Neill. "Back to sketching. Thanks for all the wonderful notes, recently. Love you guys."
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The multi-talented star also uses social media to share some of her artwork, and it is clear to see why she pursued a career as an artist. Sharing a look at this beautiful oil painting in April, Ariana wrote: "Here's my latest painting on the easel. It was so nice to do a figure in landscape for the client - now on to the next one."
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Ariana's iconic role has also inspired one of her paintings, with the artist creating an oil painting to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park in 2023. It's clear the film franchise is still very special to the star, who reflected in 2011: "I can speak from the perspective of being a child working on that set, and for me it did hold that sense of wonder. I think that's a really good word for it.
"It wasn't about analysis; it wasn't some mechanical, measured feeling to being there on that set. It was always varied and new."
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© Getty ImagesAriana was pictured chatting to Princess Diana at the premiere of Jurassic Park when it was released in 1993. And while she has rubbed shoulders with both royalty and Hollywood elite, including Steven Spielberg, the 47-year-old is decidedly humble, describing herself on social media as an "Artist, actress, mother."
