Elizabeth Berkley was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to Jere, a gift basket business owner, and Fred Berkley, a lawyer. She has an older brother, Jason, born in 1969. Her family is Jewish. Berkley began taking tap and jazz classes with Barbara Fink and ballet classes at Detroit Dance Company by the age of five. She danced "Swan Lake" with principals from the American Ballet Theatre and performed in the NYC Ballet's holiday production of "The Nutcracker" in Detroit for five years. Berkley also had roles in community theatre, including "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", "Gypsy", and "Eleemosynary". She placed as a finalist in the "Look of the Year" contest promoted by Elite Agency and began modeling for Elite's New York division at 13. This led to print work and TV commercials.
Her first on-screen job was a small part in Gimme a Break! (1981),followed by a leading role in the critically acclaimed short Platinum Blonde (1988) and a supporting part in the TV movie Frog (1988). Berkley's family relocated to California in 1988 to allow her to pursue a career in Hollywood. She landed a regular role in Saved by the Bell (1989) and appeared in several TV series and films before booking the role of Nomi Malone in Showgirls (1995). The film bombed at the box office and received negative reviews. Berkley signed with United Talent Agency and began rebuilding her film career with small roles in major films and leading parts in independent films.
In 1999, Berkley played Lenny Bruce's wife in the West End production of "Lenny", directed by Sir Peter Hall and starring Eddie Izzard. Her performance in Roger Dodger (2002) impressed critics. Berkley made her Broadway debut in "Sly Fox" in 2004 and appeared in the Off-Broadway production "Hurlyburly" (2005),earning her the best reviews of her career. She also appeared in several seasons of CSI: Miami (2002) and The L Word (2004).
Berkley founded her not-for-profit organization, Ask Elizabeth, which includes self-esteem workshops and a website that hosts digital content. She has been making life-changing connections with girls over the past seven years and has affected the lives of over 100,000 girls. Berkley is married to artist Greg Lauren and has one son, Sky Cole Lauren, born in 2012. She is a vegetarian and enjoys yoga, dancing, and singing. Berkley attended UCLA, where she studied English Literature.
She is active in numerous outreach programs, including dance classes for young teens and physically and mentally challenged youth, volunteer work with the elderly, and support for the Women's Cancer Research Fund, the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and the Humane Society.
