Ariana Richards, who played Lex Murphy in Jurassic Park, stepped back from acting to pursue college and painting—but she has not said she quit acting for good. In an interview published by Amblin Partners in 2020, Richards said she still loved acting and would welcome the right role. Her official site presents her as both an artist and an actor.
What is Ariana Richards doing now?
Richards is best known for playing Lex Murphy in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park. Her official website presents her as an artist as well as an actor, while the available sources do not establish her current acting projects, daily routine, location, or whether particular paintings or commissions are available.
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The clearest account of her change in focus comes from Richards herself. In a 2011 interview, she said she initially put acting aside to attend college and then concentrated on a demanding oil-painting mentorship. She described portrait painting as rewarding, but did not say she was permanently closing the door on acting. HeyUGuys’ 2011 interview
Why painting became a major part of her life
Painting was not simply a later-life pivot: Richards told Amblin Partners that she started painting when she was young. She recalled that her grandmother began mentoring her seriously when she was about 10, and said she later pursued further formal training. These are Richards’s recollections in Amblin’s 2020 interview.
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Her 2011 comments describe how that longstanding interest grew into a professional focus. College and intensive oil-painting study took priority after her early acting work. An earlier interview with Den of Geek also discussed portrait painting as her full-time vocation and the inspiration behind Raptor Vision.
Did Ariana Richards quit acting for good?
No definitive retirement announcement is established by these sources. In Amblin’s 2020 interview, Richards said, “I love acting and I will always want to play great roles.” She added, “If the right role came along, the right opportunity, I would totally jump at the chance.” She also mentioned voice-over work as something she would be excited to do.
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Those remarks show that she was open to acting as of the 2020 interview; they do not confirm a current project or guarantee a return. The more accurate description is that Richards stepped back from acting to focus on education and art, while leaving open the possibility of taking a role she found right for her.
How her acting career began with Jurassic Park
Richards played Lex Murphy, one of the children caught up in the events of Jurassic Park. She briefly reprised the character in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Amblin’s interview reflects on the original 1993 film and its importance in her early career. Her official site also lists her acting history alongside her identity as an artist: Gallery Ariana.
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What is—and is not—confirmed about her current work
- Confirmed: Richards’s official site presents her as an artist and actor.
- Confirmed: She described a shift toward college and painting in a 2011 interview, and expressed openness to the right acting opportunity in 2020.
- Not established by these sources: A current acting booking, the availability of new commissions or artwork, her current location, or a detailed account of her day-to-day life.
Recent coverage, including FILMSTARTS in 2026, may revisit what became of the Jurassic Park cast, but Richards’s own dated comments and official site are the firmer basis for describing her career shift.
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- Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC
- French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
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