Alicia Silverstone posted a heartfelt tribute to her longtime mentor and friend, Marty Callner, following his death at age 78. In a post to her Instagram account, the Clueless star recalled her long relationship with the music video director whom she met early in her career in the 1990s.
On March 24, Silverstone, 48, posted a series of photos of her with Callner, as well as photos of his family. She described the late producer and director as “truly one of a kind” and an “amazing father, devoted husband, loyal friend, and just an all-around cool guy.”
In her lengthy caption, Silverstone revealed that Callner asked her to star in Aerosmith’s 1993 “Cryin’” music video after seeing her film debut in The Crush. “I was 16 when we first met in his office, and he pinky-swore to me that day that we would be lifelong friends and he was right,” she wrote.
Silverstone shared that she became close with Callner’s family and that they were guests at each other’s celebratory events and holiday gatherings. “Marty was like another dad to me, filling my life with the unconditional loving support and warmth I needed at a critical time,” she wrote, concluding that her late friend would “never be forgotten.”
Callner died on March 17 at his home in Malibu from natural causes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In addition to his music video work for artists such as Aerosmith, Cher, and Stevie Nicks, he created HBO’s Hard Knocks and produced a bevy of music and comedy specials for television.
Callner once revealed how Silverstone became his muse. In a 2018 Instagram post, he explained that for Aerosmith’s “Cryin’” video, he wanted to do a story about a teenager “who really embodied female empowerment.” After noting that no famous teen actresses at the time “struck the right chord” with him, he zeroed in on Silverstone after seeing her big-screen debut in The Crush.
“I knew from the first scene that she was really unique and special. I arranged a meeting in LA. The moment she walked in, I knew I would know her the rest of my life,” he wrote of Silverstone. “I knew I struck gold and wanted her for a trilogy.”
In addition to “Cryin’,” Silverstone went on to star in the videos for the Aerosmith hits “Amazing” and “Crazy” in 1993 and 1994.
Callner also revealed that movie director Amy Heckerling called him and said she saw Silverstone in the music videos and wondered if she’d be right for her new movie Clueless, which would eventually become the young star’s breakout film role. “I of course was effusive in my praise for this young woman,” Callner shared. “Not only as an actress, but more importantly, as a person. She quickly became America’s sweetheart, and I truly love her.”
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