Career Timeline of Elizabeth Berkley: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Elizabeth Berkley, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Elizabeth Berkley is an American actress best known for her roles as Jessie Spano in the *Saved by the Bell* franchise and Nomi Malone in the film *Showgirls*. While *Showgirls* was controversial, Berkley has maintained a steady career with supporting roles in successful films such as *The First Wives Club* and *Any Given Sunday*, as well as roles in *The Curse of the Jade Scorpion* and *Roger Dodger*.
5 hours ago : Elizabeth Berkley Revisits 'Showgirls' Impact, Career Revival Through Touring, and Personal Reflections.
Elizabeth Berkley discusses how 'Showgirls' nearly destroyed her career and her current world tour embracing the film. She reflects on feeling 'locked out' after the movie's failure and how she is reclaiming her narrative.
1980: Audition for Annie
In 1980, Elizabeth Berkley auditioned for the film version of Annie but was turned down because she was too tall.
1986: Television and Film Debut
In 1986, Elizabeth Berkley made her television debut in an episode of Gimme a Break! and her film debut in the short film Platinum Blonde.
1988: Relocation to Los Angeles and Modeling Career
In the fall of 1988, Elizabeth Berkley's family relocated to Los Angeles. She signed with Elite's LA division and appeared in YM magazine.
August 1989: Saved by the Bell Debut
In August 1989, Saved by the Bell debuted, featuring Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano. It quickly became a popular show.
1991: Point Break Role Cut
In 1991, Elizabeth Berkley appeared in Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break, but her small role was later cut.
January 1993: Crystal Pepsi Commercial
In January 1993, Elizabeth Berkley was featured in the Crystal Pepsi commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl XXVII.
September 1993: Sesame Place Kids Poll
In September 1993, Elizabeth Berkley was voted second-best public person to encourage recycling in the eighth annual Sesame Place Kids Poll due to her character Jessie Spano in Saved by the Bell. Michael Jordan received 33% of the votes and Elizabeth received 22%.
October 1994: Showgirls Filming Commences
In October 1994, filming for Showgirls commenced in Nevada, with Elizabeth Berkley undergoing intensive rehearsals and dance training.
1994: Casting for Showgirls
In the spring of 1994, Elizabeth Berkley was cast as the lead in Paul Verhoeven's film Showgirls after extensive research and auditions.
March 1995: Showgirls Filming Concludes
In March 1995, Elizabeth Berkley concluded the four-and-a-half-month shooting schedule for Showgirls in Nevada, after a grueling period of intensive dance training and filming.
May 1995: Cannes Film Festival Presentation
In May 1995, Elizabeth Berkley and Paul Verhoeven attended the Cannes Film Festival to present an 8-minute preview of the film Showgirls.
September 22, 1995: Showgirls Theatrical Release
On September 22, 1995, Showgirls was released to theaters in North America, receiving an NC-17 rating and widespread negative reviews.
December 1995: Casting for The First Wives Club
In December 1995, Elizabeth Berkley was asked to test for a supporting role in The First Wives Club.
1995: Showgirls Release and Controversy
In 1995, Elizabeth Berkley starred as Nomi Malone in the film Showgirls, which generated significant controversy and criticism upon its release. Despite the initial backlash, the film has since gained a cult following.
May 1996: Todd Oldham's LA Fashion Show
In May 1996, Elizabeth Berkley was a guest model at Todd Oldham's LA Fashion Show, which raised $600,000 for the AIDS Project Los Angeles.
September 1996: The First Wives Club Release
In September 1996, The First Wives Club was released, becoming a box office hit. Elizabeth Berkley's role in the movie was well-received.
1997: Lettuce Be Lean Campaign
In 1997, Elizabeth Berkley appeared in the Lettuce Be Lean campaign sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to promote vegetarianism, donning a $600 gown made of collard greens.
February 27, 1998: The Real Blonde Release
On February 27, 1998, The Real Blonde, in which Elizabeth Berkley played Tina, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before a limited release.
1998: Any Given Sunday Role
In 1998, Elizabeth Berkley landed a role in Oliver Stone's football drama Any Given Sunday as Mandy.
May 1999: Cast in Lenny
In May 1999, Elizabeth Berkley was cast by Sir Peter Hall as Lenny Bruce's wife in his London West End production of Lenny, starring Eddie Izzard.
July 1999: Lenny Debuts in London
In July 1999, the play Lenny debuted at Queen's Theatre in London, featuring Elizabeth Berkley's portrayal of Honey Harlow (renamed Rusty Blaine).
2001: Role in Titus
In 2001, Elizabeth Berkley began playing Shannon Titus in Titus.
2001: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Divas Simply Singing
In 2001, Elizabeth Berkley played a supporting role in Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and participated in the Divas Simply Singing annual benefit concert.
2002: Role in Titus
In 2002, Elizabeth Berkley continued playing Shannon Titus in Titus.
April 2004: Sly Fox Opens on Broadway
In April 2004, Elizabeth Berkley's first Broadway show, the comedy Sly Fox, opened on Broadway. The production, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Richard Dreyfuss and Eric Stoltz, followed an out-of-town tryout at the Shubert Theatre in Boston and previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York.
October 2004: Berkley lands a role in Sly Fox
In October 2004, Elizabeth Berkley landed a role in her first Broadway show, the comedy Sly Fox, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Richard Dreyfuss and Eric Stoltz.
2005: Appears in The 24 Hour Plays
In 2005, Elizabeth Berkley appeared in the annual 24 Hour Plays in Broadway.
2005: Off-Broadway production of Hurlyburly
In 2005, Elizabeth Berkley replaced Catherine Kellner as Bonnie in the off-Broadway production of David Rabe's Hurlyburly. She appeared alongside Ethan Hawke, Parker Posey, and Bobby Cannavale.
2006: Appears in The 24 Hour Plays Again
In 2006, Elizabeth Berkley appeared in the annual 24 Hour Plays in Broadway.
2006: Begins Facilitating Self-Esteem Workshops
In 2006, Elizabeth Berkley began facilitating interactive self-esteem workshops with teen girls around the United States.
2006: Stars in The Cartells: A Prime-Time Soap Opera, Live at Comix
In 2006, Elizabeth Berkley starred in Douglas Carter Beane's critically acclaimed The Cartells: A Prime-Time Soap Opera, Live at Comix, alongside Joanna Gleason, Brian d’Arcy James, Pedro Pascal and David Rakoff.
2007: Guest Starring Roles
Between 2004 and 2007, Elizabeth Berkley had some guest starring roles in the shows Without a Trace, Threshold and Law & Order: Criminal Intent and played a black widow in the TV movie Dark Beauty.
2007: Takes on hosting duties for Bravo's Step It Up and Dance
Due to the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike Elizabeth Berkley took on hosting duties for Bravo's reality series Step It Up and Dance.
2007: Launches Interactive Website for Self-Esteem Program
In 2007, a dedicated, interactive website was launched for Elizabeth Berkley's self-esteem program. A non-profit organization was also formed to support the program.
April 2008: Step It Up and Dance Premieres
In April 2008, Elizabeth Berkley hosted Bravo's reality series Step It Up and Dance premiered.
June 2008: The Butler's in Love Premieres
In June 2008, Elizabeth Berkley starred alongside David Arquette and Thomas Jane in Arquette's 3D short film The Butler's in Love, which premiered at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
2008: MTV Plans Reality Series 'Ask-Elizabeth'
In 2008, MTV planned to produce a reality series called 'Ask-Elizabeth,' focusing on Elizabeth Berkley's self-esteem program and her efforts to help girls throughout the country. The series, produced by MTV in collaboration with Berkley's company, ultimately never materialized.
June 2009: Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls Workshops
In June 2009, Elizabeth Berkley joined Thandie Newton to lead workshops at Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley on Klip, South Africa. Berkley also had a monthly column for teen girls on Oprah's website at this time.
2009: Role in The L Word
In 2009, Elizabeth Berkley played Kelly Wentworth in The L Word.
October 2010: Shark-Free Marina Initiative Supporter
In October 2010, Elizabeth Berkley became a supporter of the Shark-Free Marina Initiative, along with Alec Baldwin and others, to combat shark disappearances from the world's oceans. The initiative was sponsored by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States.
November 12, 2011: Lucky Christmas Premieres
On November 12, 2011, Elizabeth Berkley played the lead role in the Hallmark Channel original film Lucky Christmas, about a struggling mother who wins the lottery but must recover her ticket from the glove compartment of her stolen car. The film premiered on November 12, 2011, and opened Hallmarks’ Countdown to Christmas for that year.
2011: Publishes Ask-Elizabeth
In 2011, Elizabeth Berkley published Ask-Elizabeth through the Penguin Group. The book, designed to look like a personal diary, quickly became a New York Times Bestseller.
September 2013: Participates in Dancing with the Stars
In September 2013, Elizabeth Berkley participated as a contestant in the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars, where she partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
January 2014: Reunites with Saved by the Bell Cast on The Tonight Show
In January 2014, Elizabeth Berkley reunited with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where they participated in a Saved by the Bell sketch with Fallon and Dennis Haskins.
September 2019: Saved by the Bell Sequel Series Announced
In September 2019, it was announced that NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock was teaming with Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez for a Saved by the Bell sequel series, where both actors were set to star and produce.
September 2020: Filming Wraps for Saved by the Bell Sequel
In September 2020, filming wrapped for the Saved by the Bell sequel series, after facing several delays in production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
2020: Saved by the Bell Reboot
In 2020, Elizabeth Berkley reprised her role as Jessie Spano in the Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock, also serving as a producer.
November 2021: Second Season of Saved by the Bell Released
In November 2021, the second season of the Saved by the Bell sequel was released.
November 22, 2021: Berkley Joins Cast of HBO series The Idol
On November 22, 2021, Elizabeth Berkley joined the cast of Sam Levinson's upcoming HBO series The Idol.
April 25, 2022: The Idol Undergoes Major Overhaul; Berkley Departs
On April 25, 2022, it was reported that the HBO series The Idol was set to undergo a major overhaul, with drastic changes in the cast and creative directions, resulting in Elizabeth Berkley's departure.
May 2022: Saved by the Bell Sequel Series Cancelled
In May 2022, the Saved by the Bell sequel series was cancelled, despite strong reviews and an award.
August 2023: The Idol Cancelled
In August 2023, the series The Idol was cancelled after one season.
September 2024: Booked guest starring role in Ryan Murphy's Hulu legal drama All's Fair
In September 2024, Elizabeth Berkley booked a guest starring role in Ryan Murphy's Hulu legal drama All's Fair.
2024: Returns to the Big Screen in Shell and Acknowledges Queer Audience
In 2024 Elizabeth Berkley returned to the big screen, playing the opening victim in Max Minghella's Shell, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The same year, she received standing ovations at a special screening of Showgirls, acknowledging the importance of the LGBTQ community to the film.
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