10 Things I Hate About You star, 45, looks worlds away from famous role in rare appearance

10 Things I Hate About You star Larisa Oleynik was almost unrecognizable as she stepped out at '90s Con in Connecticut on October 17 alongside the castmates of her hit TV show, The Secret World of Alex Mack.

The 45-year-old, who portrayed Bianca Stratford in the 1999 film based on Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, looked incredible with a pixie cut hairstyle at the event, a far cry from the long blonde locks she rocked in the film. She arrived in a dark-colored blazer over a black graphic tee, and added a choker necklace to complete the look.

Larisa Oleynik's exit from Hollywood explained

Larisa first starred in Alex Mack when she was just 12 years old, with the show running from 1994 to 1998. She then stepped into the role of Bianca alongside Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Julia Stiles, before leaving Hollywood altogether to focus on her college career. 

Ironically, Larisa chose to further her education at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where her onscreen sister in 10 Things I Hate About You studied. "I didn't actually study theater there. I just was so thrilled to just like read for four years; I was just so happy," she said during a panel at the convention.

"It was such a good decision for me. That related to who I am as a lover of stories and storyteller, but I kind of needed a little bit of a break from performing and just to like connect with language again. And honestly, thank goodness I was there before any kind of social media."

She added that being at college was "wonderful" and allowed her "a break from being public".

Larisa Oleynik's experience with stardom

The star eventually returned to acting in the years after graduation, and has since performed in shows like Baghdaddy and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women.

She described her initial return to the stage as "creepy" as she was flexing her acting muscles after a long time away.

Larisa previously opened up in 2012 about dealing with the intense public attention that came with her breakthrough role in Alex Mack, followed by the success of 10 Things I Hate About You.

"It's a weird thing to all of a sudden be recognized everywhere you go," she told the Huffington Post. "I don't remember it hitting that suddenly. I think it was pretty gradual for me, so that by the point it was at its height, I had some sort of coping mechanism in place."

Larisa noted that she turned down the opportunity to continue starring in Alex Mack in favor of taking a break from Hollywood, a move that she still doesn't regret.

"It was an incredible thing [the producer] was offering me, and I knew that at the time, but I was a little burnt out," she explained. "This has nothing to do with anyone involved, or the show… but I don't think that I will ever work that hard. I don't think that any job will ever feel as hard because I put so much pressure on myself to be so good at everything."