Brittany Ashton Holmes, Who Played Darla in ‘The Little Rascals,’ Chose to Quit Acting Career

Former child actress Brittany Ashton Holmes captured the hearts of many with her endearing portrayal of Darla in the '90s film "Little Rascals." Nevertheless, she opted for an early retirement from the entertainment industry and decided to lead a life away from the limelight.

The life trajectory of a child star typically falls into one of three paths: they may continue to thrive with a successful career in Hollywood, attempt but struggle to replicate their childhood success, or opt for a life away from the spotlight and grow up to lead a more conventional, everyday life.

Brittany Ashton Holmes opted for the latter, deliberately leading a private life and going to great lengths to ensure people do not find out about her personal affairs. She maintains such a low profile that she has no social media presence.

While numerous actors amass thousands or even millions of followers on social media, Brittany, who played Darla in the 1994 family comedy film, "The Little Rascals," has chosen to maintain a private life.

For the 27th anniversary of the film, the cast held a reunion, and Zachary Mabry, a cast member, posted a photo featuring the reunited cast, with Brittany also in attendance.

Brittany's sole presence on social media is limited to Twitter, where she has never made a post. In her Twitter bio, she states, "I'm Working Hard To Make My Twitter Official So Please Help By Following." As of this writing, she has over 1,800 followers and follows none.

Brittany Ashton Holmes Played Darla in 'The Little Rascals'

Brittany Ashton Holmes was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 27, 1989. At five, she secured the role of Darla, the charming love interest of Alfalfa, in the 1994 film "The Little Rascals."

This film was an adaptation of Hal Roach's iconic short film series, "Our Gang," released from the 1920s to the 1940s. The late actress Darla Hood initially portrayed Darla in the original series, and the character's name was originally Cookie before becoming synonymous with Darla in the film adaptation.

Brittany captivated audiences with her performance and endearing personality, appearing on TV shows to promote the film alongside her fellow cast members and winning the hearts of many along the way.

Brian explained that, like many child actors, Brittany initially had reservations.

While "Little Rascals" achieved classic status, and Brittany's endearing portrayal of Darla remains beloved, her time in the spotlight was relatively short-lived. In 1995, she appeared in a McDonald's ad for the Happy Meal. Also, she featured in an episode of the sitcom "Ellen," which played a pivotal role in launching Ellen DeGeneres to stardom.

At six, she appeared in the drama series "Red Shoe Diaries," portraying Dana, the daughter of a couple amid a divorce. Following that, she ventured into horror films, which diverged from her sweet and innocent image.

Brittany appeared in movies like "Humanoids from the Deep" and the sci-fi thriller "Inhumanoid," where she played the role of Amy Carver, the daughter of a family traveling through space. She also played Cynthia Coates in the crime drama film "Death Benefit."

Brittany Ashton Holmes Quit Acting

After 1996, Brittany quit show business and had a normal life. She graduated from high school in Southern California and pursued a major in political science during her college years.

She reportedly mentioned on her now inactive MySpace page that watching "Little Rascals" was embarrassing and expressed her disinterest in pursuing acting further. In 2014, reports indicated she was married and residing in Los Angeles.

During that same year, she emerged from her low-profile life for the 20th-anniversary reunion of the "Little Rascals" cast, an event organized by the production company 22 Vision.

The company's founder, Brian Procrass, said it took a "domino effect" to get the entire cast back together, adding that Brittany was the hardest to convince. When he first contacted her, he recalled that she was uninterested, revealing she had taken a break from acting and hadn't worked on another feature film since "The Little Rascals."

Brian explained that, like many child actors, Brittany initially had reservations, but after their phone conversation, she began trusting him. He emphasized that tabloid interests did not drive the reunion, but it was primarily about coming together for the film's sake.

Brittany joined her co-stars in a special photo shoot where they recreated the film's poster and some iconic scenes. This nostalgic event brought back cherished memories from their time working on the film.

Although she didn't reveal much about her life during the photo shoot, Brittany mentioned that she enjoyed wearing the red sparkly dress in the Carnival scene where she sang "L.O.V.E" with Waldo.

She also stated, "The whole movie was a dream," and that "everybody still has that core rascal, you know, inside them." Less is known about her life, as she prefers living away from the spotlight.