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Elizabeth Berkley Profile |
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Birth Date: July 28, 1972
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Birth Place: Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA
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Birth Name: Elizabeth Berkley
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Height: 5'10"
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Biography |
Born in Farmington Hills, Michigan on July 28th, 1972, baby
Elizabeth Berkley showed an early aptitude for dance. At age
five, her parents enrolled her at the Detroit Dance Company.
As her love for dance grew with the years, she began
performing at high-profile shows such as Swan Lake, which
attracted large audiences. As talent scouts started to
frequent her shows, her parents were able to land her parts
on TV shows such as Gimme a Break! and Silver Spoons, when
she was seven years old.
After her film debut in 1987's made-for-TV movie Frog, she
landed her most important part yet: the role of Jessie Spano
in the Saturday morning TV sensation, Saved by the Bell.
After four successful seasons, Elizabeth was finally of age
to start an official movie career. The 1995 release of
Showgirls, however, was not the kind of beginning she had
envisioned. Drooled over by men and vilified by the media
for her portrayal of a lap dancer, she took most of the rap
for the film's failure.
Admirably, Elizabeth kept plugging away, determined to make
a positive name for herself in the movie industry. She
continued to do television, and made guest appearances on
NYPD Blue and Jack and Jill. In 1996, Goldie Hawn
recommended her for a small role in the movie The First
Wives Club after publicly stating that Elizabeth deserved a
chance to redeem herself after doing Showgirls.
During the two subsequent years after The First Wives Club,
Elizabeth starred in three movies that never really left
their mark, including The Real Blonde. Spurned on by the
desire to have a big box-office hit, she accepted roles in
five movies in 1999, including a minor part in Oliver
Stone's Any Given Sunday alongside Al Pacino and Cameron
Diaz.
Always turned on by comedy, Elizabeth decided to return to
television in the FOX sitcom Titus in 2001 and currently
still makes an occasional appearance. Of late, Elizabeth's
most notable project is Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade
Scorpion, released in 2001.
Aside from the silver screen, Elizabeth, who is a
vegetarian, has posed for PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals). She has even claimed to have called
restaurants located in America's ten "fattest" cities to
encourage them to put more greens on the menu.
After her Showgirls days, she dated actor Roger Wilson, who,
in 1999, got her in some hot water after filing a $45
million lawsuit against Leonardo DiCaprio and his crew.
Wilson claimed to have a broken larynx and other injuries
after duking it out with Leo and his crew over a pass the
Titanic star allegedly made at Elizabeth. At last check, the
leggy blonde parted ways with Wilson and was dating another
actor, Greg Lauren. |
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Other
Information |
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.
Donned a $600 formfitting 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". [1997]
Has an older brother, Jason.
Is a vegetarian.
Dated actor Roger Wilson. [1997-1999]
Auditioned for the film Annie (1982), but was turned down
because she was too tall.
Attended Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills, Michigan,
this is also the junior high school where actors Sam
Khaleghi and Brandon T. Jackson attended, although years
later.
Measurements: 34C-23-36 (during Showgirls (1995)) (Source:
Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
In April 2004, she plans to make her Broadway debut with
Richard Dreyfuss, in the comedy "Sly Fox".
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 Mexico, at Cabo San Lucas. The
wedding ceremony took place at the Esperanza Hotel. Ralph
Lauren (Greg Lauren'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 90s, a 12 inch doll was made of her likeness
based on her character, Jesse Spano, from "Saved by the
Bell" (1989). The same was done for the other cast members.
Good friends with Jennifer Beals. The 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 the Roger Dodger (2002)
movie. She ignored him and decided to do the film because
she loved the script.
Shares a birthday with the late 'Jacqueline Kennedy
(I)'Onassis , Sally Struthers, Tom Pelphrey, Laquayva
Anthony, Lori Loughlin, and Leonor Watling.
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. |
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