As hard as it might be to believe, Blossom is 33. And she is the mother of two.
Yes, Mayim Bialik, who played the likable teen Blossom from 1991 to 1995 on the TV show of the same name, is now in her 30s.
Viewers generally get to watch child actors grow up in other TV and film parts. Since “Blossom” ended, Bialik rarely has appeared on-screen. It was her decision to walk away from professional acting.
“I come from an immigrant family, where going to college is one of the most important things you can do. So I always wanted to go to college. I was two years out of high school when ‘Blossom’ ended. So I was ready,” says Bialik in a telephone interview to discuss last week’s release of the DVD of the first two seasons of “Blossom.”
“Also, to be on a sitcom in 1994 was not a popular way to have an acting career. Offers for movie and stage roles didn’t come pouring out.”
Except for some work as a voice talent in animated television shows, Bialik focused on earning a degree at UCLA.
She remains happy with her decision to take an acting break. She now looks back and realizes it was not an easy decision to make at the time.
“It was just a big life transition. But, there are other life transitions: marriage, children. To be 19 and have that transition was shocking. I think it helped I wasn’t into spending money or going to a lot of different places,” Bialik says.
“It is certainly a big change to go to college where you are judged on your intellect. Maybe that was what I was craving.”
It might have been difficult for Bialik to find another TV series that was as different as “Blossom.” Television history is full of situation comedies that have focused on teenage boys: “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “Growing Pains,” “Family Ties,” etc. But “Blossom” was the rare show when it launched that put the spotlight on the life of a teenage girl.
Bialik knows making a comedy television series is not as important as curing cancer. That doesn’t mean she is any less proud of her show, which was designed to be “Catcher in the Rye” from a female point of view.
Blossom wasn’t designed to be the nerd or the bimbo. She existed in that middle ground that is closer to reality for most young women.
You can’t count Bialik among viewers of the series. She has always hated to see herself on either the big or small screen.
It remains tough for her to watch herself, a task she had to do to record commentary for the DVD set.
Bialik has appeared recently on episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Fat Actress.” Now that her youngest child is 5 months old, she is willing to go on a few more auditions.
Her acting career may just blossom again.
