Elisabeth Shue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elisabeth Shue
Shue at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	(1963-10-06) October 6, 1963 (age 61) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Other names	Lisa Shue
Alma mater	Harvard University (AB)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Davis Guggenheim ​ ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	3
Relatives	Andrew Shue (brother)

Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress famous for her roles in many popular movies and TV shows. You might know her from classic films like The Karate Kid (1984), Adventures in Babysitting (1987), and as Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Part III (1990).

Her powerful performance in the 1995 movie Leaving Las Vegas earned her nominations for major awards, including an Academy Award. More recently, she has appeared in the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the superhero show The Boys. She also returned to her famous role of Ali Mills in the series Cobra Kai.

Early Life and School

Elisabeth Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Her mother, Anne, worked for a bank, and her father, James, was a lawyer and real-estate developer. Shue grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, with her three brothers, William, Andrew, and John. Her parents divorced when she was nine years old.

Her younger brother, Andrew Shue, is also an actor. He is best known for his role in the TV series Melrose Place. In 1994, Elisabeth and Andrew were added to their high school's hall of fame.

After graduating from Columbia High School in 1981, Shue went to Wellesley College. She later transferred to the famous Harvard University. She took a break from college to focus on her acting career but returned years later. In 2000, she graduated from Harvard with a degree in government.

Acting Career

Starting in the 1980s

While in high school, Shue began acting in TV commercials. She appeared in ads for companies like Burger King and Hellmann's mayonnaise. Her first big movie role came in 1984 when she played Ali Mills, the love interest of the main character in The Karate Kid.

She then starred in the popular 1987 comedy Adventures in Babysitting. The next year, she appeared in the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise.

In 1989, she took on the role of Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future Part II, replacing the original actress. She played the same character in Back to the Future Part III (1990). Around this time, her older brother, William, sadly passed away in an accident during a family vacation. Taking a smaller role in the Back to the Future sequels allowed her to spend time with her family.

Success in the 1990s and Beyond

In 1995, Shue took on a very serious and challenging role in the film Leaving Las Vegas alongside Nicolas Cage. Her performance was highly praised, and she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also received nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award.

After this success, Shue starred in many different kinds of movies. She was in the spy film The Saint (1997) with Val Kilmer and the science-fiction movie Hollow Man (2000) with Kevin Bacon.

In 2007, Shue produced and starred in the movie Gracie. The story was based on her own childhood as the only girl on a boys' soccer team. The movie was also a tribute to her late brother, William, who had been the captain of his high school soccer team.

Recent Work on TV and in Film

From 2012 to 2015, Shue played crime scene investigator Julie Finlay in the popular TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She is a big tennis fan and even suggested an episode about a murder at a tennis tournament, which the producers made happen.

In 2017, she appeared in Battle of the Sexes, a movie about the famous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

From 2019 to 2020, she played the powerful character Madelyn Stillwell in the Amazon Prime superhero series The Boys. In 2021, she made a special guest appearance in the series Cobra Kai, returning to her role as Ali Mills from The Karate Kid more than 35 years later.

Personal Life

Shue married film director Davis Guggenheim in 1994. They have three children: a son named Miles and two daughters named Stella and Agnes.

Selected Filmography

Selected Television Work

Images for kids

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  Shue at the premiere of Dreamer at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival

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  From left to right: Jonathan Dayton, Shue, Andrea Riseborough, Emma Stone, and Billie Jean King at the European premiere of Battle of the Sexes in 2017

See also

In Spanish: Elisabeth Shue para niños