After a brief stint as a teen model, this statuesque blonde made her TV debut in an episode of PBS’ “Wonderworks”. Berkley is best known for her role as the intelligent Jessie on the Saturday morning sitcom “Saved By the Bell” (NBC, 1989-93) and its TV movie spin-offs. She followed with appearances on episodic TV (“The Hogan Family”, “Life Goes On”, “Diagnosis Murder” and “Burke’s Law”) and appearances in primetime “Saved By the Bell” specials (1992-93). Berkley made her feature acting debut as an uptight teenager in “White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild” (released direct to video, 1995) and then starred in the change of pace role of Nomi, a conniving lap dancer in Paul Verhoeven’s “Showgirls” (1995). Many unfairly placed the failure of the film, universally panned as one of the year’s worst, on Berkley; her agent dropped her and she had difficulty finding an appropriate follow-up vehicle. With new representation, she landed a role as Victor Garber’s actress-girlfriend in “The First Wives Club” (1996) and the lead in Tom DeCillo’s “The Real Blonde” (1998). Berkley enjoyed a critical success on the London stage as Honey, the stripper married to comic Lenny Bruce, in the play “Lenny”. On the big screen, she appeared as a secretary in Woody Allen’s period comedy “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion” (2001). After a short-lived stint as Christopher Titus’ step-sister on his eponymous sit-com, Berkley earned positive notices for her warm turn in the amusing 2002 film “Roger Dodger.”
- Born:
on 07/28/72 in Farmington Hills, Michigan
- Job Titles:
Actor, Model
Family
- Brother: Jason Berkley. born c. 1969
- Father: Fred Berkley.
- Mother: Jere Berkley.
Significant Others
- Companion: Greg Lauren. nephew of designer Ralph Lauren; began dating in 2000; moved in together in 2001
- Companion: Roger Wilson. born c. 1957; dated as of early 1998; no longer together
Education
- University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, English, BA
- Calabasas High School, Calabasas, California
Milestones
- 1979 Started dancing when she was 5 years old (date approximate)
- 1987 Began studying acting, singing and dancing in Los Angeles when she was 13; family eventually relocated two years later (date approximate)
- 1988 TV debut in “Frog” on PBS’ “Wonderworks”
- 1989 Appeared as a regular on “Saved by the Bell”
- 1995 First feature film released in “Showgirls”
- 1996 Had small supporting role in “The First Wives Club” as a vacuous actress
- 1998 Co-starred in the independent film “The Real Blonde”
- 1999 Appeared in the film “Tail Lights Fade”
- 1999 Had a small supporting role as a high-class call girl in Oliver Stone’s “Any Given Sunday”
- 2001 Acted in Woody Allen’s “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”
- 2002 Appeared in the film “Roger Dodger”
- 2004 Starred in the Broadway play “Sly Fox”
- Born in Michigan
- Feature acting debut, “White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild” (released direct to video after the theatrical run of “Showgirls”)
- Had recurring role on the Fox sitcom “Titus”, as the title character’s stepsister
- Worked as a teen model for Elite
