The Showgirl Must Go On
Social Dot Com
Heather Wadowski
Oct 25, 2002
Elizabeth Berkley stages a career comeback in “Rodger Dodger”
Over the years, people come to expect certain things on their birthdays -- for instance, a cake, a nice dinner with friends and perhaps a few gifts. However, stopping your friends from singing the theme song to "Saved by the Bell" while on the phone with Elizabeth Berkley is not one of them. Yet on my 22nd birthday, that's exactly what I find myself doing.
"No, no," Berkley says with a laugh when I tell her what doom I'm saving her from. "Have them sing it. That would be great!" As my friends break into a chorus of "It's all right/cause I'm saved by the bell" I can't help but think that most actresses would simply cringe to hear a group of twenty-somethings sing the theme song to a show she starred in almost a decade ago and can't escape. However, 30-year-old Elizabeth Berkley is obviously not one of them. In fact, she's probably one of the few actresses who appreciate every moment of her career -- even "Showgirls." After mentioning that I am calling from Las Vegas, the former Jessie Spano happily brought up what many would consider her career low, and was more than eager to reminisce about living in the City of Sin -- even for just a few weeks.
But while Berkley may have only lived in Vegas for a month or two, the Michigan native has been living with Vegas-persona Nomi Malone ever since 1995. Once hailed as one of the "best actresses in an off-prime-time series" for "Saved by the Bell" (a role created for her when casting directors couldn't decide between her and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen for the part of Kelly Kapowski), Berkley was nominated for both worst new star of the decade and worst actress of the century at the 2000 Razzie Awards after having previously won the awards for worst actress and worst new star in 1996. And despite making brief appearances in several successful films since then ("Any Given Sunday," "The First Wives Club"), the public still laughs at mere mention of Berkley's name. Now, an actress once known for her feminist ways (thanks to Jessie Spano) is now remembered primarily for her T&A, and no matter how hard she tries, Berkley can't seem to break free of Nomi Malone.
With Artisan Picture's "Roger Dodger," however, Berkley is hoping that she's taking yet another step in the right direction to remind both Hollywood and the public that she's still the same talented actress. While her role may not sound like much (Berkley plays Andrea, a single woman who -- with the help of co-star Jennifer Beals -- gives two New York men an experience they'll never forget), her character is much more detailed than the movie's premise lets on and has already earned her rave reviews.
"This is definitely one of my favorite jobs I've ever done," Berkley exclaims excitedly. "It's just a good, good movie. The writing in the script is so funny and dramatic, and my character has all these layers to her. She's definitely not what you think she is at first glance -- she's not just another pretty blonde girl sitting in the bar. She has this sadness to her, this loneliness, yet she's still funny and goofy and just looking for love."
Though the role of Andrea was the main reason Berkley's interest was peaked into signing on to "Roger Dodger" (and the fact that unlike her former "Saved by the Bell" co-stars, Berkley always had sights set on the big-screen), but since her close friend Jennifer Beals was already cast, Berkley had even greater reason to be involved. Unlike some actresses, Berkley wasn't the least bit uncomfortable working alongside one of her best buddies -- although she did feel a bit self-conscious during their first few scenes together.
"It's only natural to want your friends to think you are talented," Berkley explains, "but I had no hesitations. I really wanted to be a part of the movie. It was just too ironic that when I met up with Jennifer in New York she was telling me how I had to meet with these producers who were making this great movie and here I already had the script in my hand and loved it."
Although Berkley and Beals' characters teach male protagonists Roger and Nick (Campbell Scott and Jesse Eisenberg) a few lessons in love, in real life the happily engaged actress admits that to believing that men know a bit more about women than women know about men. "I hate to generalize, but men tend to be very close to their sisters and mothers so it's only natural that they know more," she explains. Berkley and I continue to chit chat about the opposite sex, love and weddings: "I know you are the one interviewing me, but I have to ask. . .how do you get married in Disneyland?" she asks as we discuss about our upcoming nuptials. But our conversation eventually turns back to the dreaded S-word, and I don't mean school, even though Berkley is a UCLA student.
"Since you seem to be comfortable talking about it," I say, “I have to ask what it was like to be nominated for three Young Artists awards and then win two Razzies only two- and-a-half years later?"
"It was definitely a cruel time," Berkley replies without missing a beat. "I felt like a kid at recess getting a beating. To go through that at such a young age -- you definitely find out what you are made of. But if you love what you're doing you have to take risks, take the occasional beating and just keep moving forward. That and have a really strong work ethic."
As a nearby publicist tells Berkley to wrap up our conversation, I manage to squeeze in the two questions I've been dying to ask since first scheduling my interview. "Are there any plans for a "Saved by the Bell" reunion or DVD?," mentioning how millions of TV viewers (both young and old) idolize Zach, Kelly, Jessie, Screech, Slater and Lisa. Although her saying yes would have been the best birthday gift ever (or at least in the top 10), sadly she informs me that NBC has yet to make any such plans. As I tell her to yell at the NBC execs to get on the ball, Berkley laughs and we say our good-byes. While I may never get the honor to own the "Saved by the Bell" DVD collection, I at least got the gratification to know that Elizabeth Berkley is one childhood star not upset to always be known as her TV persona. Nor is she an actress bitter that her headlining debut in a feature film nearly killed her career. Instead, Elizabeth Berkley is a down-to-earth, box-office-failure survivor, and a woman-in-love whose happiness is not dependent on how much money her latest feature brings in or how the public (and press) sees her. She's an actress in the business not only because she's talented, but also because she loves it. And that -- no matter what city Berkley lives in -- is hard to come by.
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