ELIZABETH BERKLEY

      Elizabeth Berkley made her mark in the acting world in the TV division when she played Jessie on the now famous Saved by the Bell, and then in the Hollywood world when she made the leap to the bigtime in the feature film Showgirls.
      Berkley had many acting classes and training for her career in her childhood. So she was very prepared when she got the role of Jessie Spano, a smart conservative teenage girl, on 'Saved By The Bell'. She played the role for almost the full run of the show, and earned many fans during that time in her career; a fact that served her well when she was to make her big screen debut in 1995. As a child, and also later on, Berkley also took many dancing and technique classes in addition to her acting training, so when Paul Verhoeven offered her the lead role as an exotic dancer in 1995's Showgirls, a dazzling, thought-provoking expose drama about dancing and showbiz, she happily accepted; she was very eager to show her dancing talents, and to combine them with her already well known acting talent as well. Of that role Berkley is very proud, saying, "I've been preparing for this role my whole life. Like Nomi I can't live without dance in my life."
      After Showgirls, Berkley appeared in supporting roles in other hit films, including Hugh Wilson's First Wives Club, Tom DiCillo's The Real Blonde, Avi Nesher's Taxman, and Christine Lucas's Last Call.
Photo: Any Given Sunday - Bio by Sarah Chambless © 2000 - [used with permission]