At 57 Elisabeth Shue Still Leaves Fans Breathless

Oct 11, 2020 by apost team

Most actors go through a transformation as they advance in their careers. Some have drastic makeovers, some get botox, some dye their hair. But none of this applies to Elisabeth Shue. The 57-year-old actress looks as youthful and fresh-faced as she did when she started out.

Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on October 6, 1963, but grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. Once she had graduated from high school she continued studying at Wellesley College, but later transferred to Harvard University.

As a way of paying for college, she started doing some acting work for commercials. She had recurring roles in ads for Burger King and Hellman's mayonnaise. Her breakthrough movie role came in 1984 as the on-screen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid. The film was a huge success and put Shue's name firmly on the acting map.

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Film roles flooded in during the 80s, but Shue really cemented her status as a Hollywood star when she took a gamble on the film Leaving Las Vegas in 1995. Her role as Sera gained her a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards that year. After this, she starred in a huge array of films such as The Saint in 1997, Deconstructing Harry, also in 1997, and Hollow Man in 2000.

In 1994, Elisabeth married film director Davis Guggenheim. Together, the couple had three children, Miles William, 22, Stella Street 19, and Agnes Charles, 14. Elisabeth learned to juggle the role of wife, mother, and actress, never truly pausing her career. After having left Harvard to follow her acting dreams, Shue returned to complete her BA in Political Science in 2000.

"I was feeling a little bit disconnected from the kind of work I was being offered. Then I began to wonder whether acting was the right thing for me. Then it hit me how much I missed learning, which was something that had always made me feel more connected to the real world. I just knew I had to go back," she told The NZ Herald.

Her approach to aging is a positive one. On turning 40 she declared: 

"I really think the 40s are the greatest years for any woman because you have a real sense of yourself. I’m much more aggressive in what I want to do in my life."

She will be turning 57 in a few days–although she sure doesn't look it–and we are certain she will continue that line of thought and it will drive her to go from strength to strength!

Elisabeth Shue shows us that true beauty shines through the years. Share this will any fans of her movies, and anyone who wants to feel confident in their own skin!