What happened to Elizabeth Berkley after Showgirls turned a rising television star into a Hollywood target?
Millions of viewers first knew Berkley as Jessie Spano on Saved by the Bell. Jessie was smart, outspoken, ambitious and responsible. She also gave the show one of its most remembered scenes when academic pressure and caffeine pills overwhelmed her.
Then Berkley made a dramatic break from her Bayside image. She played Las Vegas dancer Nomi Malone in the 1995 film Showgirls.
The movie received brutal reviews, and much of the criticism landed on its young star. Yet that was not the end of Berkley’s career. She continued acting, found purpose outside Hollywood and eventually watched Showgirls become a celebrated cult film.
How Elizabeth Berkley Became Jessie Spano
Berkley joined Saved by the Bell in 1989 and remained a regular until 1993. The Saturday morning comedy became a defining show for a generation of young viewers.
Jessie stood apart from many teenage television characters of the period. She cared about grades, equality and social causes. Berkley later told Vogue that she saw Jessie as an activist and feminist who used her voice.
The role made Berkley recognizable, but it also created a challenge. Audiences strongly associated her with an idealistic high school student. Showgirls offered a chance to prove that she could play someone completely different.
What Showgirls Did to Her Career
Berkley won the role of Nomi after an intense audition process. The film came from director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, the team behind Basic Instinct. It appeared to be a major opportunity.
Instead, Showgirls became one of the most attacked movies of 1995. Critics mocked the dialogue, direction and performances. Berkley also faced personal comments about her body and ability.
The response had real professional consequences. In 2025, Berkley said she was not allowed to audition for two years after the film. She described feeling isolated and abandoned by people involved in the production. Contemporary reporting also noted that her agent dropped her.
“I couldn’t understand how people could be so cruel,” she later said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It would be misleading, however, to say Showgirls ended her career. Berkley kept working, although she no longer received the path to leading film roles that once seemed possible.
She Rebuilt Her Career One Role at a Time
Berkley appeared in The First Wives Club in 1996. She later took roles in The Real Blonde, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and the independent drama Roger Dodger.
She also turned to the stage. Her theater work included the West End production of Lenny, the Broadway comedy Sly Fox and an Off-Broadway revival of Hurlyburly. The latter brought especially strong reviews and helped audiences see more range in her acting.
Television provided another steady line of work. Berkley made appearances in shows such as NYPD Blue, Without a Trace, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and New Girl. She also had a recurring role as Julia Winston on CSI: Miami.
These projects did not recreate the attention surrounding Saved by the Bell or Showgirls. They do show that she remained a working actor rather than vanishing from entertainment.
Her Work Expanded Beyond Acting
Berkley created Ask Elizabeth after conversations with teenage girls about self-esteem, body image and relationships. The project grew into school workshops, an advice website and the 2011 book Ask Elizabeth.
She explained that the workshops were designed to let girls ask questions and feel heard. She did not want to lecture them about how to live.
Berkley has also spoken openly about placing greater value on family. She married artist and fashion designer Greg Lauren in 2003. They have a son, Sky.
Her public profile became quieter during parts of this period, but the change was not simply a forced retreat. Acting, motherhood, advocacy and producing all became parts of her life.
Returning to Bayside Changed the Story
In 2020, Berkley returned as Jessie Spano in Peacock’s Saved by the Bell revival. This time, she also worked as a producer.
The adult Jessie had become an author and school counselor. Berkley helped shape the character and took part in selecting the younger cast. The revival lasted two seasons before Peacock canceled it in 2022.
The return offered Berkley something more meaningful than nostalgia. She could revisit the role that made her famous while having greater control over how Jessie developed.
At the same time, the reputation of Showgirls was changing. Midnight screenings, queer audiences, filmmakers and critics had turned the former punchline into a cult favorite.
When Berkley introduced a sold-out 2024 screening at the Academy Museum, the audience gave her three standing ovations. The Los Angeles Times reported that she became visibly emotional.
Where Is Elizabeth Berkley Now?
Berkley remains professionally active. She appeared in the body-horror satire Shell, which reached theaters in 2025, and guest-starred in the Hulu legal drama All’s Fair later that year.
She also spent 2025 celebrating the 30th anniversary of Showgirls at special screenings. At one Pride event, she thanked LGBTQ+ viewers for embracing the film when much of the industry had rejected it.
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“You guys didn’t just embrace it, you rescued it,” she said in remarks reported by Variety.
Berkley did not disappear after Showgirls. Her opportunities narrowed, and rebuilding took years. Today, she is acting again while publicly reclaiming the movie that once threatened to define her career.
The surprise is not that Hollywood suddenly erased the past. It is that audiences changed how that past is remembered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Berkley faced intense criticism and later said she was shut out of auditions for two years. She eventually rebuilt through supporting film roles, television appearances and stage work.
Yes. Her recent work includes the film Shell and a 2025 guest role in Hulu’s All’s Fair.
Yes. She returned as Jessie Spano and served as a producer on Peacock’s revival. The series ran for two seasons from 2020 to 2021.