The Complicated Life of Teen Sitcom Star Turned Film Actress Elizabeth Berkley

In 2004, Berkley appeared on Broadway in Sly Fox. The stage role continued her effort to broaden her career beyond the two screen parts that still dominated public memory: Jessie Spano on Saved by the Bell and Nomi Malone in Showgirls.

Broadway gave her another serious performance space, separate from the film reviews and tabloid framing that had followed her through the late 1990s. It also showed that she was still willing to work in front of live audiences and take professional risks. Her career was changing, but the past was still close behind.