Elizabeth Berkeley She was 23 when she accepted her first role as a leading actress to worldwide enthusiasm. it belonged to exotic dancer nomi malone show girl (1995) who arrives in Las Vegas determined to follow her dream at all costs. It was directed by a well-known actor, several successful actresses read the script, while the project gave her a chance to break away from the role of the ideal teenager she had created. saved by the Bell (1989–1993), However, who was to tell him that he was about to embark on a project that would change his life and his career forever.
And not for the better at all. At least, at the beginning of his cinematographic journey. Because the rejection by critics and the poor reception at the box office were so overwhelming that Paul Verhoeven’s film was classified as one of the worst films of 1995. But the burden of failure fell on the film instead of its director. .The young interpreter who saw how his dreams suddenly disappeared. However, few people know that Elizabeth found a way to empower herself from that failure.
After playing the prototype of the popular American teen for four years saved by the Bell, Elizabeth Berkeley She was looking for a project that would help her take a definite leap into the world of cinema. She wanted to show the industry that she was an adult actress and decided to take a risk by accepting one of the most controversial roles roaming the halls of Hollywood. Even when Drew Barrymore, Angelina Jolie, Pamela Anderson, Charlize Theron, Sharon Stone and Madonna declined to be part of the production (in many cases due to the amount of nudity required for the proposal).
Elisabeth was certainly convinced upon learning that the director was a specialist in erotic thrillers after directing low instinct (1992) and move on Sharon Stone to stardom. So he threw himself into their hands to interpret scenes of exotic dances, naked nudity and the most grotesque sex scenes. The result was a smash hit, even as media malaise was expected to provide an additional box office boost.
i.e, show girl The actress of a youth hit was shown to be equally popular saved by the Bell and it was the first big-budget film to be released theatrically with a 17+ rating – a rating that replaced the older ‘X’ theaters in the US. Both the trailer and the promo were straight to the point: show girl It was a film about and for the male eye, But the audiences who flocked to theaters three years later to see Sharon Stone cross her legs didn’t react in the same way.
consequently, show girl It ruined those beginnings of Elizabeth Berkeley. Their lives came to a standstill as investors’ money sank in and their managers moved on in their professional lives. And the thing is, Elizabeth was one of the people who paid the most for that risk. Her agent stopped representing her and other agents refused to take her calls because of bad reviews (Via Los Angeles Times, From one day to the next, she went from being a popular girl saved by the Bell Financial failure led to exile from Hollywood.
Elisabeth had to start from scratch through small films and supporting roles. Only five years later, in 1999, we saw him again in an excellent film any given Sunday Oliver Stone though had a small role (like curse of jane the scorpion by Woody Allen, 2001). In fact, I’m probably not wrong in thinking that most of us thought it had disappeared off the map when we saw it again in the popular episode. CSI (She played Horatio’s (David Caruso) ex-girlfriend in 2003 and then returned CSI Miami in 2008).
The irony of the matter is that when she was searching for her life with a scarlet letter show girl The film was gaining popularity as a cult classic through home video,
I guess I’m not the only one who can admit that for too long we looked upon Elizabeth Berkeley with pity. However, he himself admitted some time ago that the experience did not sink him as much as we thought, but rather helped him find a way out. Empower yourself in failure and criticism, turning them all into ways to help yourself and other women.
He gave an interview in 2021 collider, Elisabeth revealed that she saw that experience not as a victim but as “someone who faced very difficult times, which were highly controversial and where there was a lot of blame.”
The actress reflected positively on the film’s impact over time, appreciating its impact on pop culture and the love it has received among the public. “Never could I have imagined in that painful moment after the premiere that it would be celebrated as an iconic cult classic” Sentenced. Although things were not easy, it was difficult for Elizabeth to come to this conclusion.
For a long time he did not want to attend screenings or special talks dedicated to the film until the day of the legalization of gay marriage, appearing spontaneously at a screening of the film at a cemetery, and giving a speech about the gratitude he felt towards . Thank you to the gay community for the support they have given to the film all these years.
The truth is, Elizabeth has no regrets, despite her professional journey from exile and bottom-up resume, though she wishes things were a little easier for her. “But we all go through ups and downs. We all experience difficult situations, only my situation was very public. As a very young woman, I had to learn things that were difficult but I overcame them and came out better and stronger in every way. That was my choice and my personal development.
After that experience, Elisabeth was more careful in choosing whom to associate with in new projects, whether in theatre, film or television. more than remembering it as the worst moment of your life, He said that experience was “catalytic”. In 2006 she was inspired to create a self-esteem program,
It’s Ask Elizabeth and it’s a program that teaches in schools as a volunteer and interacts with thousands of young women. It even had a bestseller published in 2011. A revelation that I myself was unaware of, and it reminded me of the work of Goldie Hawn, who left cinema for 15 years to create a school program that teaches meditation to children in schools.
“I wanted to provide a safe space for girls to feel heard and know that they are not alone in their teenage experience. This isn’t about me getting on a platform to tell you how to live your life, it’s about giving you a community to listen to each other and use your voices in service of each other.” Announced a few years back.
In both her book and her talks, Elizabeth speaks directly to young teen girls, sharing her wisdom and advice Topics like self-esteem, external pressures, how to adjust to new situations, menstruation, first love etc.
The 50-year-old actress confessed that, perhaps, she was not aware of the hidden significance of everything she experienced. show girl Unless you have created this program. A path of personal empowerment as a result of exposing myself so artistically and physically to the public eye and being the center of criticism and disapproval after carrying that cross for so long.
This article was written by Cine54 exclusively for Yahoo en Español.
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