Drag Me to Hell’s Alison Lohman on why she quit acting

Last Updated on October 20, 2022

Alison Lohman had a strong run in the early 2000s, with commendable turns for directors like Tim Burton and Ridley Scott in Big Fish and Matchstick Men. And then, after a short string of movies both mainstream and forgettable, she headlined Sam Raimi’s stellar Drag Me to Hell. And after that…not so much–on the cinematic front, at least.

Now, Alison Lohman has spoken about leaving Hollywood for other goals. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lohman, who is now 43, discussed the perks of exiting Tinseltown, saying she enjoys hardly getting recognized in public. “The part that I do like about anonymity is when you meet someone and they don’t know who you are, they are so different towards you. That’s what you miss as a famous actor because people treat you so differently and it’s true.”

And while being a Hollywood actress would seem an ideal lifestyle for many, Alison Lohman has no problems being out of the spotlight. “Sometimes I have a hard time [explaining the decision] because I always wanted to have kids and a family, that was always a huge thing for me. In a way, if someone does find out that I was an actress before, in a weird way, it’s kind of a bummer because they don’t see me anymore. The bubble bursts and I’m now an actress. I just want to be me.”

Alison Lohman’s breakout role was as Astrid–daughter to Michelle Pfeiffer–in White Oleander two decades ago, sharing the poster with Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn and Renée Zellweger.

But it is probably her performances in Matchstick Men that she will be best remembered for. Playing a deceptively complex role, Alison Lohman gave lead Nicolas Cage a run for his money both as a performer and a character. Of note, she earned one of our very Golden Schmoe nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

There, too, was 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, which stands as one of the best horror movies of the century so far, with a lead performance that is both terrifying and alluring, certainly one of the finest and most daring of its decade. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing her in Drag Me to Hell 2.

Alison Lohman’s most recent credit was 2016’s Officer Downe.