One of the reasons that Hollywood stars have so many fans is that they stay in the business for a very long time. Think about it: someone who acts in different roles over the decades will have entire generations of audiences fall in love with her. Every now and then, though, comes an exception…an actor that leaves a major impression on the entire world and then drops off the Hollywood radar.
A great example of this is Alisan Porter, best known for her starring role in the hit ‘90s film Curly Sue. That film was popular enough that it burned the image of Porter’s young self into our brains in a powerful and permanent way. These days, though, she looks completely different, and her career has gotten a complete makeover.
Don’t believe it? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Alisan Porter, including what she’s been up to and how unrecognizably glamorous she looks!
Stunning the world in Curly Sue
Curly Sue wasn’t as popular as movies like Home Alone or even Uncle Buck, but it has something in common with those other films. Specifically, it comes to us from legendary Hollywood director John Hughes. That filmmaker specialized in telling slice-of-life stories in idealized suburban worlds, and Curly Sue was no exception.
It was truly a breakout movie for Alisan Porter, who played the titular character. This was the film where most of us discovered how talented the young performer truly was. However, we shouldn’t have been surprised…impressing the right people with her acting chops is how she got into this business in the first place.
How her Hollywood career began
Major actors all have different stories about how they were discovered. Some are practically plucked off the street because they have good-looking faces, and others work their way up from the bottom as extras (nepo babies get to skip this step, of course). As for Alisan Porter, though, she began her career by simply singing a song!
One day, the future star began singing in a hotel lobby. What Porter didn’t know, though, is that a producer was in attendance who was impressed with her vocal skills. Thanks to him, she ended up on Star Search and became the youngest contestant to ever win. After that, she starred in major films such as Curly Sue, and she’d likely still have a killer career if not for her stunning decision to leave the career behind.
The sad reason she left acting behind
Like we said before, most actors who headline major films can look forward to a long and prosperous career. After starring in Curly Sue, we thought that Alisan Porter was going to become one of the most famous faces in film. Eventually, though, she walked away from Hollywood altogether, later telling Oprah Winfrey “It wasn’t fun for me anymore. There was no joy in it for me, because I think I just wanted to be doing normal kid things.”
On a more (ahem) sober note, Porter later admitted on Inside Edition that she became addicted to drugs. “I did cocaine, I smoked pot, I drank, I took whatever pill people were taking at the time,” she said. She apparently used those drugs to fill a kind of void in her life that she could no longer fill with her career, asking complex questions. “Where is that adoration?” she asked. “Where is that love? And how can I feel that again?”
Eventually, she walked away from Hollywood completely. But she ended up making a major comeback in the most unexpected way.
An unexpected career comeback
Eventually, Alisan Porter’s career came full circle. Remember, she originally ended up on a producer’s radar because she had an excellent singing voice. And in 2016, this led her to join the cast of The Voice. This wasn’t originally her idea…according to Worcester Magazine, one of Porter’s friends gave her name to the show. When a casting director called, the former actor said “what the heck” and accepted the offer to join the show.
Porter may not have originally wanted to star in the series, but she quickly established herself as a powerhouse. She managed to win her season and even made Voice history by becoming the first of mentor Christina Aguilera’s contestants to take home the prize!
A new life, personally and professionally
Alisan Porter conquered The Voice back in 2016, but what has she been up to lately? Despite how many doors her victory likely opened up, she never returned to Hollywood. Instead, she parlayed her reality television victory into a new career as a singer.
These days, that’s exactly what she does. She had already released two albums since appearing on the show and has released one more album since. Between this and her experience in musical theater, she is achieving her goal of making a living with her voice. She’s also the mother to three children and loves to spend time bonding with her when she isn’t belting out show-stopping tunes with her incredible voice.