Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: July 28, 1972

Age: 52 years old

Birth Place: Farmington Hills, Michigan

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.

The second child of two, Berkley was born on July 28, 1972 in Farmington Hills, MI, where she spent her youth. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Due to the laughingly wooden acting and a misogynistic plot barely up to porn flick standards, "Showgirls" was savaged by critics and bombed in theaters. It earned a record 13 Golden Raspberry Award nominations - awarded to the worst films of the year - and "won" seven times. Nevertheless, it eventually found a place as a cult favorite and the subject of a hilarious drinking game. Although her reputation was unjustly damaged far more than the men actually responsible for putting the trainwreck of a film on screen - her agent even dropped her - Berkley's career managed to weather the storm, even if "Showgirls" did not catapult her to the A-list as "Basic Instinct" had done for Sharon Stone.

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.

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, 2000-15), "Without a Trace" (CBS, 2002-09) and "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC, 2001-07; USA, 2007-11).

Credits

Top Chef Family StyleStream

Guest
Reality
2021

Celebrity Name That TuneStream

Guest
Series
2021

Saved by the BellStream

Actor
Jessica Spano
Series
2020
88%

Saved by the BellStream

Executive Producer
Series
2020
88%

The At-Home Variety ShowStream

Guest
Series
2020

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Guest
Talk
2019

Access Daily

Guest
Show
2019

Today 3rd Hour

Guest
Show
2018

Bethenny

Guest
Talk
2013

Home & Family

Guest
Talk
2012

New GirlStream

Guest Star
Becky Cavatappi
Series
2011
95%

Lucky Christmas

Actor
Holly Ceroni
Movie
2011

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
Show
2010

Melissa & JoeyStream

Guest Star
Series
2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale

Actor
Trudy
Movie
2009

The Wendy Williams Show

Guest
Talk
2008

Step It Up and Dance

Host
Reality
2008

Black Widow

Actor
Olivia Whitfield/Grace Miller
Movie
2008

Meet Market

Actor
Linda
Movie
2008

Chelsea Lately

Guest
Talk
2007

The Better Show

Guest
Show
2007

Threshold

Guest Star
Show
2005

Dancing With the StarsStream

Contestant
Reality
2005

Fashion Police

Guest
Reality
2004

The L WordStream

Guest Star
Series
2004
57%

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Guest
Talk
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Control Factor

Actor
Karen Bishop
Movie
2003

Student SeductionStream

Actor
Christie Dawson
Movie
2003

Moving Malcolm

Actor
Liz Woodward
Movie
2003

Detonator

Actor
Jane Dreyer
Movie
2003

Without a TraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

CSI: MiamiStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

The Twilight ZoneStream

Actor
Series
2002

Cover Story

Actor
Samantha Noble
Movie
2002

Roger DodgerStream

Actor
Andrea
Movie
2002
88%

Law & Order: Criminal IntentStream

Guest Star
Series
2001

Kletva škorpiona

Actor
Movie
2001

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

Actor
Jill
Movie
2001

The Shipment

Actor
Candy Colucci
Movie
2001

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

Guest Star
Renée, Foam Dancer
Series
2000

Grosse Pointe

Guest Star
Show
2000

Titus

Guest Star
Series
2000

Becoming Dick

Actor
Maggie
Movie
2000

Investigar Secreto

Actor
Movie
1999

Tail Lights Fade

Actor
Eve
Movie
1999

Any Given SundayStream

Actor
Mandy Murphy
Movie
1999
52%

The Taxman

Actor
Nadia Rubakov
Movie
1999

Last Call

Actor
Helena
Movie
1999

Investigador Secreto

Actor
Nadia Rubakov
Movie
1999

Africa

Actor
Barbara Craig
Movie
1999

Brother's Keeper

Guest Star
Show
1998

Random Encounter

Actor
Alicia "Allie" Brayman
Movie
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Perversions of Science

Actor
Show
1997

Armitage III

Voice
Movie
1997

The Real Blonde

Actor
Tina
Movie
1997

Access HollywoodStream

Guest
News
1996

First Wives ClubStream

Actor
Phoebe LaVelle
Movie
1996
50%

Legend of the Wild

Actor
Crystal
Movie
1995

ShowgirlsStream

Actor
Nomi Malone
Movie
1995
23%

White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild

Actor
Crystal
Movie
1995

Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas

Actor
Show
1994

Extra

Guest
News
1994

Burke's Law

Guest Star
Heather Charles
Show
1994

Bandit: Bandit Goes Country

Actor
Beth
Movie
1994

Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las VegasStream

Actor
Jessie Spano
Movie
1994

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
Nicole Graf
Series
1993
83%

Saved by the Bell: The College YearsStream

Actor
Series
1993
9%

Molly & Gina

Actor
Kimberly Sweeny
Movie
1993

Salvados por la Campana: Al Estilo Hawaiano

Actor
Movie
1992

Salvado al Estilo Hawaiano

Actor
Movie
1992

Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian StyleStream

Actor
Jessie Spano
Movie
1992

E! News

Guest
News
1991

BaywatchStream

Guest Star
Courtney Bremmer
Series
1989

Saved by the BellStream

Actor
Jessie Spano
Series
1988

The Hogan Family

Guest Star
Series
1986

Gimme a Break!

Guest Star
Series
1981

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutElizabeth Berkley