Hottest Women Actress: Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley Biography

Date of Birth
28 July 1972, Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
When Elizabeth was 5, her parents enrolled her at Detroit Dance Company. Loving dance, young Elizabeth began to take part in several ballets, including "Swan Lake" and, in 1983, she starred in some musicals (sometimes singing in Italian). Her screen debut was a role in the TV movie Frog (1987) (TV). She then got work as an extra in some TV series: "TV 101" (1988), "Day by Day" (1988), etc. In the summer of 1989, she was in L.A. and auditioned for a role on "Saved by the Bell" (1989). She got the role and became a TV star. After 4 seasons, she left the show to try to break into cinema. In 1994, she filmed 4 movies, including Showgirls (1995), and continued to guest star in very popular TV shows, like "Diagnosis Murder" (1993). At the same time, she was studying English Literature at a college in California. After Showgirls (1995), she signed with United Talent Agency and then filmed some Hollywood films with small roles (The First Wives Club (1996) and Any Given Sunday (1999)) and starred in some indies (Taxman (1999/II), Last Call (1999/II), The Real Blonde (1997). In 1999, Elizabeth performed on stage in London as Honey in "Lenny". Her performances in Roger Dodger (2002) and Moving Malcolm (2003), two independent movies released in 2002 and 2003, impressed the critics. She made her Broadway debut in "Sly Fox", in February 2004, three months after her marriage with New York artist Greg Lauren. She then returned to The Great White Way in the terrific Off-Broadway production "Hurlyburly" directed by Scott Elliott and co-starring Ethan Hawke, Parker Posey and Wallace Shawn. She received some of the best reviews of her acting career for her impressive performance as Bonnie.
IMDb Mini Biography By: myself-1983
Spouse
Greg Lauren (1 November 2003 - present)
Trade Mark
Long curly hair
Trivia
Has different color eyes: right eye is half green and half brown and left eye is green.
The producers of "Saved by the Bell" (1989) created the role of Jessie for her when they could not choose between her and Tiffani Thiessen for the role of Kelly.
Once sat next to a man on an international flight who watched Showgirls (1995) on his in-seat video screen and never recognized her.
1997: Donned a $600 form-fitting gown made entirely of collard greens for the "Lettuce Be Lean" campaign sponsored by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. According to "People Weekly", a source claims "she had to be misted every 20 minutes, like a produce section".
Has an older brother, Jason.
Is a vegetarian.
Auditioned for the film Annie (1982), but was turned down because she was too tall.
Attended Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills, MI. This is also the junior high school where actors Sam Logan Khaleghi and Brandon T. Jackson attended, although years later.
Her husband, Greg Lauren, is a successful and professional nude painter. Elizabeth and Greg met each other in a dance class in 2000.
Married Greg Lauren in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the Esperanza Hotel. Ralph Lauren (Greg's uncle) designed Elizabeth's dress--a silk sheath with pearled spaghetti straps--and Greg wore a white tuxedo jacket and black bow tie.
In the early 1990s a 12-inch doll was made of her as her character, Jessie Spano, from "Saved by the Bell" (1989). The same was done for the other cast members.
Good friends with Jennifer Beals. They each appeared in a Joe Eszterhas-written film (Berkley: Showgirls (1995); Beals: Flashdance (1983)), and they appeared together in Roger Dodger (2002).
Was advised by her manager not to do Roger Dodger (2002). She ignored him and decided to do the film because she loved the script.
After Showgirls (1995), she got a degree in English Literature from UCLA and entered into the United Talent Agency.
Attended the prestigious Cranbrook-Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at the same time as actress Selma Blair. Another former student was Jaime Ray Newman.
Good friends with Lauren Bush.
Her first book, entitled Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask About Love, Friends, Your Body... and Life in General, will be released on March 22nd, 2011. It ties in with the self help program she founded in 2006.
In 2006, she founded a self help group for young girls called Ask Elizabeth, in which she helps girls discuss problems and ask questions to each other which they would usually feel uncomfortable sharing with others.
Expecting her first child with husband Greg Lauren [March 5, 2012].
Personal Quotes
Ever since those reviews for Showgirls (1995), it's like I was that woman in "The Scarlet Letter". Except that instead of having to wear the letter "A" for adulteress, I was condemned to wear an "S" for "showgirl".
[on making Roger Dodger (2002)] I really loved it. On the set, it was like being part of a real family. Everybody was there because they wanted to be and not because of some paycheck - there were no dressing rooms or big trailers; you'd get ready in a bathroom. Here's this $2-million movie that could have gone nowhere or everywhere. But it's one of the most special experiences that I've ever had. I want more similar experiences. I'm not "Showgirl" - that's the point!
The First Wives Club (1996) gave me a certain level of confidence. Because I was working with these three women - Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton - who as women have been through every high and low. Goldie especially took me under her wing and was really supportive. She told me, "I don't like the way you were directed in that movie [Showgirls (1995)], but there's something there that you can't deny. So you just keep doing what you're doing and someone will get it, and someone will show the real you, and not just some idea of you".
[on working with high-profile directors] I'm very grateful, because a lot of actors would kill to work with any one of them. It's been a very conscious choice on my part to work with the best - even if it was taking a small supporting role. After Showgirls (1995), I really wanted to surround myself with the best people. I wanted to build it that way instead of doing flashy roles just like "Showgirls", which would have hurt me.
[11/23/05] The first thing I want to say is that I think that "Threshold" (2005) is one of the best new shows out there, which is one of the reasons I wanted to join this amazing cast. Barbara Nance, the writer of this episode, created an incredible, strong female character who I knew I would have a lot of fun playing. There are fight scenes, there is glamor, and there's this fun cat-and-mouse game between me and Brian Van Holt, who plays Cavennaugh. All the dynamics were in place. But what was fun was when Carla called me not knowing that they had offered it, and even though we only have a couple of scenes together, we were both so excited. Across the board, the cast is amazing. The only other guest spots I've done in the last couple of years were on shows that were already established, like "Without a Trace" (2002) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) and "NYPD Blue" (1993), so it was fun to be a part of something from the beginning.
[about Lauren Hutton, in "Style Makeover", Volume 13, Number 9, Fall 2006] Women shine when they are at their most natural, and Lauren Hutton has a certain timelessness I admire. She knows what works for her.
Salary
Showgirls (1995) $100,000
Where Are They Now
(June 2005) Getting great reviews for her performance as "Bonnie" in the Off-Broadway production of "Hurlyburly", New York.
(2006) Has started her own website, www.ask-elizabeth.com, which helps young girls and young women with the problems they deal with and their experiences growing up.

Elizabeth Berkley