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IMDbPro

Elisabeth Shue

  • Actress
  • Producer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000221
Elisabeth Shue
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:52
On the Verge (2021)
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Elisabeth Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware, to Anne Brewster (Wells), who worked for the Chemical Banking Corporation, and James William Shue, a lawyer and real estate developer. She is of German and English ancestry, including descent from Mayflower passengers. Shue's parents divorced while she was in the fourth grade. Owing to the occupational demands of her parents, Shue and her siblings found plenty of time to get into trouble in their suburban neighborhood, but Elisabeth soon enrolled in Wellesley College, an all-female institution which kept her out of trouble.

During her studies, she found a way to make a little extra money by acting in television commercials. Elisabeth became a common sight in ads for Burger King, DeBeers diamonds, and Hellman's mayonnaise. In 1984, she landed a role in the The Karate Kid (1984) as the on-screen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio and a role as the teenage daughter of a military family in the short-lived series Call to Glory (1984). At this time, Shue got herself an acting coach and transferred to Harvard, where she began studying political science.

She continued her acting work with Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Cocktail (1988), Soapdish (1991) and The Marrying Man (1991). Unfortunately, time was catching up with the impressive girl-next-door. Her brother Andrew Shue had almost eclipsed her own fame by landing a starring role in the hit TV series Melrose Place (1992). It was at this time that Elisabeth took a chance on a low-budget, high-risk project entitled Leaving Las Vegas (1995), directed by Mike Figgis. Her gutsy portrayal of a prostitute mixed up with a suicidal alcoholic paid off as she was recognized with a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards that year. This was the turning point of her career. What followed was a barrage of film roles, including The Saint (1997), Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997), Palmetto (1998) and Hollow Man (2000).
BornOctober 6, 1963
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornOctober 6, 1963
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000221
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar

Leading Ladies of the 1980s

Leading Ladies of the 1980s

From Sigourney Weaver to Cher, check out some of our favorite leading ladies from the glorious 1980s.
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Photos

Photos504

Elisabeth Shue, Alec Baldwin, and Robert Loggia in The Marrying Man (1991)
Elisabeth Shue, Alec Baldwin, and Robert Loggia in The Marrying Man (1991)
Elisabeth Shue in Amy & Isabelle (2001)
Elisabeth Shue in Amy & Isabelle (2001)
Elisabeth Shue in Amy & Isabelle (2001)
Elisabeth Shue and Antony Starr in The Boys (2019)
Elisabeth Shue in The Boys (2019)
Elisabeth Shue, Chace Crawford, and Erin Moriarty in The Boys (2019)
Elisabeth Shue in The Boys (2019)
Elisabeth Shue, Jessie T. Usher, and Colby Minifie in The Boys (2019)
Elisabeth Shue and Sarah Roemer in Waking Madison (2010)
Michael J. Fox, Elisabeth Shue, and Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Known for

Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Leaving Las Vegas
7.5
  • Sera
  • 1995
Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, and Anthony Rapp in Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Adventures in Babysitting
6.9
  • Chris
  • 1987
Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue in The Saint (1997)
The Saint
6.2
  • Dr. Emma Russell
  • 1997
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid
7.3
  • Ali
  • 1984

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Constance
    • Completed
  • Uma Thurman, Kyle Chandler, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Super Pumped (2022)
    Super Pumped
  • Christian Slater, Don Cheadle, Kieran Culkin, Kevin Smith, Grey Griffin, John DiMaggio, Chris Diamantopoulos, Randall Duk Kim, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth Rogen, Fred Tatasciore, Aisha Tyler, Youn Yuh-jung, Antony Starr, Nasim Pedrad, Jermaine Fowler, Chace Crawford, Ben Schwartz, Ursula Taherian, Parker Simmons, Asjha Cooper, Emily V. Gordon, Caleb McLaughlin, Awkwafina, Jenny Yokobori, and Somali Rose in The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022)
    The Boys Presents: Diabolical
    • (voice)
  • On the Verge (2021)
    On the Verge
  • Brian Cox and Richard Madden in From Now (2020)
    From Now
  • Thomas Ian Griffith, Ralph Macchio, Yuji Okumoto, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Oona O'Brien, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Jacob Bertrand, Vanessa Rubio, Tanner Buchanan, Gianni DeCenzo, Xolo Maridueña, and Dallas Dupree Young in Cobra Kai (2018)
    Cobra Kai
  • Jensen Ackles, Laz Alonso, Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, and Jack Quaid in The Boys (2019)
    The Boys
  • Tom Hanks and Elisabeth Shue in Greyhound (2020)
    Greyhound
  • Bruce Willis in Death Wish (2018)
    Death Wish
  • Elisabeth Shue, Bill Pullman, Steve Carell, Sarah Silverman, and Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes (2017)
    Battle of the Sexes
  • Patrick Stewart, Adrian Scarborough, Timm Sharp, Jacki Weaver, Dolly Wells, Karan Soni, and Mary Holland in Blunt Talk (2015)
    Blunt Talk
  • Elisabeth Shue and Ted Danson in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
  • Elisabeth Shue, Mary-Louise Parker, Heather Graham, Selena Gomez, and Nat Wolff in Behaving Badly (2014)
    Behaving Badly
  • Gerard Butler and Jonny Weston in Chasing Mavericks (2012)
    Chasing Mavericks
  • Max Thieriot and Jennifer Lawrence in House at the End of the Street (2012)
    House at the End of the Street
  • Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep in Hope Springs (2012)
    Hope Springs

Producer

  • Constance
    • Completed
  • On the Verge (2021)
    On the Verge
  • Gracie (2007)
    Gracie

Soundtrack

  • Elisabeth Shue and Jessica Lange in Cousin Bette (1998)
    Cousin Bette
  • Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, and Anthony Rapp in Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
    Adventures in Babysitting

Videos106

Who Could "The Boys" Offend in Season 2?
Clip 3:25
Who Could "The Boys" Offend in Season 2?
Who Would Spank a Superhero?
Clip 2:30
Who Would Spank a Superhero?
The Boys - Not for Kids
Clip 1:08
The Boys - Not for Kids
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Clip 0:56
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Clip 1:08
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Cocktail
Clip 1:06
Cocktail
Cocktail
Clip 1:27
Cocktail
Piranha 3-D
Clip 2:31
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Clip 0:23
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Clip 0:33
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Clip 0:31
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Clip 0:38
Piranha 3-D

Personal details

Edit
    • October 6, 1963
    • Wilmington, Delaware, USA
    • Davis GuggenheimAugust 1994 - present (3 children)
    • Andrew Shue(Sibling)
  • Other works
    TV commercial for Burger King (1982)
  • Publicity listings
    • 9 Interviews
    • 8 Articles
    • 8 Pictorials
    • 9 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Graduated from Harvard University 8 June 2000 with a degree in Government. Shue was one semester short of earning her degree when she dropped out to pursue her career 15 years ago. She returned to Harvard in the spring of 2000.
  • Quotes
    On Cocktail (1988): "If I'd known that it was just going to be about these guys throwing drinks around, then I might have had some second thoughts . . ."

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