Why Practical Magic's Alexandra Artrip left Hollywood after starring in cult classic

Almost three decades on from starring in Practical Magic and Alexandra Artrip still has fond memories of her time making the 1998 movie, despite her decision to leave the industry.

Artrip played Antonia Owens in the cult classic film and Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood played her on-screen sister, Kylie. They were the children of Sally Owens (portrayed by Sandra Bullock), and the nieces of Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman).

As you can see, the 1998 movie has a pretty stacked cast; Grease alum Stockard Channing was also in the first film as Aunt Frances and has reprised her iconic role for the newly-released sequel. So has Dianne Wiest, who plays Aunt Bridget.

But one person who didn't come back for Practical Magic 2 is Artrip, who now lives a very different life to the one she had as a child star. Before Practical Magic, the up-and-coming actress starred in an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger and Touched by an Angel.

After featuring in the star-studded movie, Artrip decided to step back from acting. Speaking to UNILAD, she explained why and insisted that it was her choice to quit Hollywood – not her parents'.

Alexandra Artrip is best known for playing Antonia Owens in Practical Magic (Supplied)

'It's a lot of work'

"My parents truly presented the options to me and said, 'Do you want to keep doing this?'" Artrip told us.

"It really boiled down to the fact that my mom said we'd have to get a set sitter, which is just a job where some kids have a chaperone if they're under 18 because you have to have someone with you on set."

"My mom did it with me for the first year," Artrip went on, "and that's when she was like, 'we're going to have to get a set sitter.'"

The former actress has a brother and sister, and her mom found that she wasn't able to spend as much time with them when she was with Artrip on film sets.

But Artrip, now 37, didn't want what she described as a 'babysitter' so her parents suggested that she revisited acting when she was older, allowing her to have a 'normal childhood'.

She said: "They saw that it was really exhausting. It's a lot of work. Fun, but a lot of work. So I was like, 'yeah that's fine, I'll do it again when I'm 18 or once I'm out of college, or whatever.'"

And Artrip did just that. She went to school and then college. She graduated in just three and a half years because she was eager to go to California to try get back into acting.

Alexandra recently celebrated her 37th birthday (Supplied)

'I was a rusty, to say the least'

"I lived [in California] for about six months and was trying to get back into acting and auditioning and stuff," Artrip said. "I reconnected with my manager at the time, but the challenge was that I had been out of the craft forever."

The 37-year-old continued: "I had done dance, I had done performing arts, but I hadn't like been in acting classes and done theater. I was a rusty, to say the least.

"I got back into acting classes but there came a point where I was waiting tables (a very cliché experience that one has in LA), and I realized that it was going to take a long time to get the wheels back under me and I was running out of money.

"I ended up applying to grad school and literally the day I was supposed to sign my lease on my apartment in LA – this tiny little apartment under a freeway overpass, it was horrible – I got accepted to grad school I was like 'I feel like this is a sign.'"

Artrip studied advertizing and PR at grad school and now works in sales for a company in Texas. She's also married, having tied the knot in 2019, and has two kids.

The Practical Magic star moved to Texas around ten years ago for her job.

The former actress said she would have returned as Antonia in the movie's sequel (Supplied)

'I would have returned as Antonia'

While she works in sales now, Artrip admitted that she would have probably reprised her of Antonia in the sequel had she been asked.

"I think I would've," she replied when asked by UNILAD if she'd have returned for Practical Magic 2. "I mean, it's so silly to say because, as I said, I'm so out of practice."

Artrip added: "I think they would have had to talk to me like five years ago and been like 'girl, get your act together.' By the time it came to be, I probably would have set production back."

Practical Magic 2 is now in theaters.