Elisabeth Shue
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| Elisabeth Shue | |
 2006 photo by JD Lasica |
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| Born | October 6, 1963 (age 43) Wilmington, Delaware, USA |
| Spouse(s) | Davis Guggenheim |
| Notable roles | Sera in Leaving Las Vegas, Ali Mills in The Karate Kid, |
| Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
| Nominated: Academy Award for Best Actress, 1996 Leaving Las Vegas |
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Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American film actress.
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[edit] Early life
Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware, into a prosperous and well-educated family and grew up in Bergen and Essex counties in New Jersey. Her parents divorced while she was in the fourth grade. Her father, who was active in Republican politics, once unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey.[citation needed] Shue graduated from Columbia High School, in Maplewood, New Jersey, and attended Wellesley College and Harvard University, from which she withdrew to pursue her acting career. She returned to Harvard, 15 years after withdrawing, to finish her degree in Government in 2000. [1]
[edit] Early acting career
During her studies at Columbia and after her parents' divorce, she found a way to make extra money by acting in television commercials. A state junior level gymnast, Shue became a common sight in ads for Burger King, DeBeers diamonds, and Hellman's mayonnaise.
In 1984, she co-starred in The Karate Kid as the onscreen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio, and had a role as the teenage daughter of a military family in the short-lived series Call to Glory. She continued her acting work with Adventures in Babysitting, her first starring role, Cocktail, Soapdish, and The Marrying Man. She also appeared in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III as Jennifer Parker, replacing original actress Claudia Wells who declined to reprise the role from Back to the Future.
[edit] 1990s and 2000s
Trying to shed her girl-next-door image, Shue took a chance on a low-budget, high-risk project called Leaving Las Vegas. Her portrayal of a prostitute mixed up with a suicidal alcoholic played by Nicolas Cage earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Since then, she has starred in The Saint, Deconstructing Harry, Palmetto, and Hollow Man.
Shue was going to star across Jim Carrey in The Number 23 but she became pregnant just weeks before filming and she ended up losing the part to Virginia Madsen.
In 2006, Shue and her two brothers produced Gracie, a movie about a teenage girl with an interest in soccer, in part based on Elisabeth's own experience. It is in part filmed on location in areas where she grew up.
[edit] Personal life
Known among her friends and family as "Lisa," Shue is married to Davis Guggenheim, director of the HBO TV series Deadwood. They have a son, Miles William (b. November 11, 1997), and two daughters, Stella Street (b. March 19, 2001) and Agnes Charles (b. June 18, 2006).
Her brother is actor Andrew Shue, of Melrose Place fame. Another brother, William, died in 1988 at the age of 26 from a freak accident while on family vacation. Son Miles's second name is in homage to Will.
Shue is the daughter-in-law of Charles and Marion Guggenheim, and sister-in-law to Guggenheim children Jonathan and Grace.
[edit] Partial filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Karate Kid | Ali Mills | |
| 1986 | Link | Jane Chase | |
| 1987 | Adventures in Babysitting | Chris Parker | |
| 1988 | Cocktail | Jordan Mooney | |
| 1989 | Back to the Future Part II | Jennifer Parker/McFly | |
| 1990 | Back to the Future Part III | Jennifer Parker | |
| 1991 | Soapdish | Lori Craven | |
| 1993 | Heart and Souls | Anne | |
| 1995 | Leaving Las Vegas | Sera | |
| 1996 | The Trigger Effect | Annie Kay | |
| 1997 | The Saint | Dr. Emma Russell | |
| 1998 | Palmetto | Mrs. Donnelly/Rhea Malroux | |
| 1999 | Molly | Molly McKay | |
| 2000 | Hollow Man | Linda McKay | |
| 2004 | Mysterious Skin | Mrs. McCormick | |
| 2005 | Hide and Seek | Elizabeth | |
| Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story | Lilly Crane | ||
| 2007 | First Born | Laura | |
| Gracie | Lindsay Bowen | In Production (Completed) |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | American film actors | American television actors | Harvard University alumni | Wellesley College alumni | Alumnae of women's universities and colleges | Delaware actors | People from New Jersey | 1963 births | Living people | People from Wilmington, Delaware
