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Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1972) is an American television, film, and stage actress. Her notable roles are in the television series Saved by the Bell and in the 1995 film Showgirls. Fans of the saccharine-sweet teen sitcom “Saved by the Bell” (NBC, 1989-1992) would have been hard pressed to pick out Elizabeth Berkley as the star who would make the biggest name for herself, albeit, somewhat notoriously. After four years of watching Berkley’s caricatured portrayal of a high school feminist, no one could guess that the buxom blonde would, with one role, be the one to immediately re-define herself as a garish stripper in one of the most-ridiculed yet secretly adored movies ever made. Since careers have ended over less, Berkley’s patient rehabilitation of her image thereafter was only slightly less surprising, but admirable, at the same time. Elizabeth Berkley was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She attended North Farmington High School. From a young age she excelled in dance and practiced every day in a small dance studio that her parents constructed for her in the basement of their home. Although a Michigan native, she graduated from Calabasas High School in Calabasas, CA (though some sources site Farmington Hills as her site of graduation). Defying later critics of her intellectual prowess, she earned a degree in English Literature from UCLA in 1995. In 1982, at only age 10, she auditioned for the lead role in the film Annie, but was turned down because she was too tall. As her love for dance increased, she became more interested in pursuing it professionally. She began to take part in several ballets, including Swan Lake and, in 1983, she starred in some musicals. Portentously, Berkley’s parents enrolled her in dance classes at the age of five. Her interest in dance eventually led her to musicals, which in turn led her to dramatic acting. After a brief stint as a teen model, this statuesque blonde made her TV debut in an episode of PBS' "Wonderworks." Berkley first appeared on network television in “Gimme a Break!” (NBC, 1981-87) and “Silver Spoons” (NBC, 1982-86). A few other small roles, mostly on TV, followed, before Berkley was cast in “Saved by the Bell” in 1989. Allegedly, the producers could not decide between her and Tiffani Thiessen for the role of Kelly Kapowski, so they created the role of Jessie Spano in order to have both women on the show. Berkley was a teen model for Elite before pursuing an acting career. She made her screen debut in 1987 with a role in the made-for-televison movie Frog and following this, made a number of guest appearances on different television shows. In 1989, she auditioned for the role of Kelly in Saved by the Bell, but the producers of the show could not decide whether to cast her or Tiffani Thiessen. They consequently created the character of Jessie especially for Berkley, a role for which she gained prominence, playing her from 1989 to 1993. Cashing in on the whole “Beverly Hills, 90210” (Fox, 1990-2000) craze, “Saved by the Bell,” was the very definition of a teen sitcom, made specifically for teens. Written in broad, predictable strokes, with frequent, ham-fisted attempts at discussing “real teen issues,” the show and the school it encompassed was populated essentially by stereotypes: the jock, the prom king, the pretty girl, the nerd, etc. Berkley’s Spano was the brainy, feminist/activist girl. Much like her character would have done, when the network doubled its order of episodes during the show’s final season, Berkley refused to sign a new contract, instead opting to pursue a career in film. After leaving Saved by the Bell to try and break into cinema, Berkley auditioned for and won - beating various other young actresses including Denise Richards and Charlize Theron, then relative unknowns - the role of Nomi Malone, the lead character in the infamous 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls. The sex and nudity-laden movie, given an NC-17 rating in the United States, was a box office bomb, widely panned by critics, and is generally credited with ruining Berkley's movie career (the film is now very successful thanks to its DVD release). Although she did appear in several other films that appeared at around the same time – including her feature acting debut as an uptight teenager in "White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild" (released direct to video, 1995) – none of them earned anything approaching the notoriety of “Showgirls” (1995) – the film by which she would forever be measured. She played a young stripper named Nomi Malone who, although lacking in the intellectual and morals department, was somewhat less so in the physical department. The film, written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Paul Verhoeven – the team responsible for the titillating hit film “Basic Instinct” (1992) – chronicled the various obstacles that Malone confronted while trying to become a Las Vegas showgirl. For its graphic violence, sex (both hetero- and homosexual) and near-constant nudity, the film received an NC-17 rating, which it flaunted boldly and unconventionally for that period of time. Following the failure of Showgirls, she decided to audition for smaller roles in quality films, hoping to improve upon her acting skills before accepting another leading role. As a result, she appeared in a small role in The First Wives Club, a comedy starring Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler, before accepting the title role in the straight to video anime Armitage III: Poly Matrix which also starred Kiefer Sutherland. She then played a Madonna body double named Tina in the independent film The Real Blonde and was featured in the poster. As time has put distance between Berkley and the infamous film - which has since achieved cult status among film fans and was placed number 36 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 50 Cult Movies - she has performed well in strong supporting roles in independent films such as The Taxman, Tail Lights Fade, Roger Dodger and Moving Malcolm. She also had a small role as a call girl in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday, as well as a supporting role in Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. Berkley appeared on stage opposite Eddie Izzard for her role as Honey in the London stage version of Lenny. She went on to make her Broadway debut in the comedy Sly Fox, opposite Richard Dreyfuss in February 2004, just three months after her marriage to artist Greg Lauren. She replaced Catherine Kellner as Bonnie in the 2005 Off-Broadway production of David Rabe's Hurlyburly, appearing alongside Ethan Hawke, Parker Posey and Bobby Cannavale. Despite the Hollywood backlash she received post-“Showgirls,” she continued to find work on stage, on television and in films, albeit in smaller roles and/or productions. With new representation, she landed a role as Victor Garber's actress-girlfriend in "The First Wives Club" (1996) and the lead in Tom DeCillo's "The Real Blonde" (1998). She earned praise for her stage performances in a 1999 London production of “Lenny” as the stripper Honey opposite Eddie Izzard in a stage play about comic Lenny Bruce and in the 2005 off-Broadway production of “Hurlyburly,” as well as in several independent films including Woody Allen's “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion” (2001) and the critical darling, “Roger Dodger” (2002). Berkley also appeared on Broadway in “Sly Fox,” but reviews of her performance were unfavorable. Despite these setbacks, it was a test of her character and determination that, even with the unshakable “Showgirls” stigma surrounding her at all times, she managed to press on and find work. Berkley was particularly praised for her role in Hurlyburly, with Charles Isherwood of the New York Times even going as far as apologising to her for his past criticisms of her ability, stating that the fact she held "her own among this skilled company of scene-stealers is a testament to how much her talent has grown". Her most recent stage appearance was at the sixth annual 24 Hour Plays alongside Jennifer Aniston, Rosie Perez and Lili Taylor, in which six writers, six directors, twenty-four actors and production crews have twenty-four hours to write, direct and perform six ten-minute plays. She has been seen in many dramatic television roles, guest starring on series such as CSI, NYPD Blue, Without A Trace, Threshold, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. However, these dramatic roles were counterbalanced by her recurring role in the successful and critically acclaimed sitcom Titus, in which she played the title character's sister, Shannon. She also starred in the Lifetime made-for-television movie Student Seduction, in which she played Christie Dawson, a high school teacher wrongfully accused of sexual harassment by one of her students who becomes obsessed with her. This was followed by another made-for-television movie in 2007, entitled Black Widow in which she played a woman suspected of killing her husbands for their money. The film Meet Market, which she starred in along with Julian McMahon, Krista Allen and Aisha Tyler was released straight to DVD in 2008. Although she had a recurring role in the third season of the comedy “Titus” (FOX, 2000-02), her interest in comedy went the way of “Saved by the Bell” eventually, considering her following efforts were of a slightly more dramatic nature, with guest appearances on “CSI” (CBS, 2000- ), “Without a Trace” (CBS, 2002- ) and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC, 2001-). Berkley signed on to star in a multi-episode arc of CSI: Miami, in which she plays Horatio Caine's (David Caruso) ex-lover, Julia Winston, who is also the Mother of his recently discovered son. She has also been chosen to host Bravo's latest reality series, Step It Up and Dance, a competition featuring the exploits of wannabe dancers who compete against each other to win a cash prize. The show will premiere in April 2008 on Bravo. Following the failure of Showgirls, Berkley decided to attend college to distance herself from acting, eventually graduating from UCLA with a degree in English Literature. Following this, she entered the United Talent Agency and resumed her acting career. She is a committed vegetarian and animal rights activist. In 1997, she donned a $600 form-fitting gown made entirely of collard greens for the "Lettuce Be Lean" campaign, sponsored by PETA. On November 1, 2003, Berkley married artist Greg Lauren at the Esperanza Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The entire wedding party was garbed in creations by Greg's uncle, fashion designer Ralph Lauren. She volunteers in her free time, working with teen girls in junior high and high schools around the world. She is active in various outreach programs, including dance classes for young teens, volunteer work with the elderly, volunteer work for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as well as many others. She facilitates a self-esteem program she created called ask-elizabeth. Berkley is currently developing her own production company, named 5,6,7,8 Productions and hopes to use it for various projects both as an actress and producer. |
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