Born into a prosperous family in Wilmington, Delaware, on October 6th, 1963, Elizabeth Shue is a well-rounded actress who has been in the public eye for over twenty years. Shue originally got into acting as a way to make a few extra dollars while she went to college by starring in television commercials for such companies as Burger King and DeBeers.

Shue was attending Harvard University to pursue a degree in Government when she decided to withdraw from classes in order to devote more time to her acting, although she would later go back to finish her degree in 2000. In 1984 Shue managed to land a role in The Karate Kid as Daniel LaRusso's girlfriend. Later, in 1987 Shue was able to land her first starring role in the film Adventures in Babysitting, which she later followed up with films like Cocktail with Tom Cruise and Soapdish. She was even offered the role of Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future Part II & III after the original actress Claudia Wells decided not to continue on with the part.

Shue had succeeded in making a name for herself as the cute, innocent girl that always seemed to need to be rescued, but that all changed when she decided to accept the role of Sera the prostitute in the low-budget film Leaving Las Vegas that also starred Nicolas Cage. Her performance of the street-wise prostitute was recognized by the academy as she received the Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Even though she lost the award, she had proven to herself and her critics that she was capable of far more diverse roles that the traditional ones she had previously been offered.

In 1994 Shue married Davis Guggenheim, and they remain married to this day. The couple also has three children: Miles, Stella, and Agnes. Shue continues to balance her family and professional life as she continues her acting career.