Everyone's favorite childhood series, The Babysitters Club, is getting a reboot on Netflix this summer. This time around, 90s icon Alicia Silverstone will play Christy Thomas' mother. We spoke with Silverstone about being a kid and keeping her child safe.

Marie Claire: Were you a babysitter?

Alicia Silverstone: I was 10, maybe even younger. I don't know why they made me take care of the kids, but I was grateful they did. I loved it. I had very strong maternal instincts from the moment I was born. I remember babysitting a little boy near the house we lived in: when I told him it was time to go to bed, he would cry so sweetly and make me melt. I loved helping him get better.

MC: Wow, my babysitting story is the one about the kids locking me in the basement.

AS: I still remember two horrible kids who were drawing all over the walls with crayons. I couldn't stop them. I was 10 or 11 years old, and I didn't know what to do.

MC: Did you like the "Babysitters Club" series?

AS: I had never heard of it until this offer. I've seen three of his movies: "The Sound of Music," a Bruce Lee movie (which I didn't see much of, but my brother did, so I watched it by default), and "The Three Stooges.

MC: Did those early films inspire you to become an actor?

AS: I don't think so. My acting inspiration came from theater. My parents are English, so they took me to England every summer. [My father took me to see many plays in the West End and I thought they were wonderful. Somewhere along the way, that became what I wanted to do.

I started acting very young. When I was about four or five years old, a woman came to my parents' house and I did a show for her, like any child would do. She said to my father, "This little girl has something; she's a little girl.

MC: Eventually, you became an independent actor. What was that like?

AS: My first film job was in "Crush" (1993). When I was selected for this job, I was told that in order to get this job I had to be emancipated (emancipated child actors do not have the same restrictions as child actors). My father and I went to Sacramento and had slave rights obtained. But when we got on set, the directors said, "Oh, you shouldn't have done that." He said he wasn't going to deny me the part.

When they let you go, it's cheaper for them. They treat you like an adult. In The Babysitters Club, the kids become pumpkins at a certain time. The whole set revolves around their school and their time. But that wasn't the case when I was 16. I was treated like an adult. I think I worked 23 hours one night.

MC: What was it like filming with the kids in The Babysitters Club?

AS: It was really lovely watching the little girl (Sophie Grace) who plays my daughter. She works so much harder than I do. I really enjoyed watching her grow as an actress. I really saw her change. I was so proud of her, right to the end.

MC: You have a son in real life, Bear Blue. Does he see your work?

AS: My son rarely sees my work. He is eight years old now, so I am very careful about what he eats. My son doesn't have a phone. He doesn't have access to social media. Because there are so many wonderful things [that his brain can do]. He is very creative and inspirational. We want to keep his mind fresh.

MC: What do you know now that you didn't know when you were 17?

AS: There are two things. I wish I had a sister who could have taught me the benefits of changing my diet (to vegetarianism). The other thing is to know that as a woman, but also as a boy, you have to have self-worth and that your thoughts and feelings are important. My son knows exactly who he is. I think this program celebrates children being who they are."

This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Marie Claire magazine. At press time, the first air date for "The Babysitters Club" was scheduled for May 10. It has since been postponed.

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