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"I feel like my first conversation with someone, I really get a good feeling about who that person is and mainly about how open they are." One of the ways that Elisabeth Shue has been so successful throughout her life is by being open to others and what they have to offer. From starring in The Karate Kid (1984) through roles in Cocktail (1988), The Saint (1997), Hollow Man (2000), and more, Shue has distinguished herself as an actress and shown the world what she has to offer based on her ability to make a character her own. She has also been credited as Lisa Shue in some roles.

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Shue has been nominated for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, and has won numerous awards for her acting. From 2012 to 2015, she starred as Julie Finlay in CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her most recent works include Battle of the Sexes (2017) and Death Wish (2018). In 2019, she was starring in an Amazon serious called The Boys. But how did Shue become such a successful actress, and where did she get her start? Here's everything you need to know about the talented actress.

Growing Up in Delaware, and Moving Into Acting

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Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Shue grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. When she was nine her parents divorced, and she has three brothers she's close to. Younger brother Andrew also works as an actor. Shue attended Columbia High School, and then went to Wellesley College. In 1994, she was inducted into her high school's hall of fame, along with her brother. During her junior year of college, she started acting in TV commercials to help pay her tuition. In 1985, she transferred to Harvard University.

When Shue was just one semester from earning her degree, she withdrew in pursuit of her acting career. That was risky and vulnerable, like many of the choices she has made in life. She has said, "I understand now that the vulnerability I've always felt is the greatest strength a person can have. You can't experience life without feeling life." In 1997 she returned to Harvard, and in 2000 she received her B.A. in political science. In the 1980s and 1990s, Shue's acting career slowly started to grow as she started in various TV commercials for Burger King and other companies.

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In 1984, she made her debut in feature films with The Karate Kid. She was in several films after that, but her next notable role was in Cocktail (1988). She was seen in the Back to the Future movies, and made her Broadway debut in 1990. While her career was doing well she experienced the tragic loss of her brother Will, who was killed in an accident on a family holiday. In 1995 she was cast in Leaving Las Vegas, which earned her multiple nominations for acting awards and sent her already solid career onto an even stronger and more demanding path.

An Oscar Nomination Added to Her Popularity

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Shue has said, "The darker, more complex and emotional the part is, the easier it is for me. But I don't take any of that stuff home with me at the end of the day." That was important for her in Leaving Las Vegas, where she was cast in a much different role than the girl-next-door roles she had been taking on in the past. After her Oscar nomination, she starred in Deconstructing Harry (1996) and The Trigger Effect (1996), along with The Saint (1997). From that point her career continued to evolve, and she starred in a number of roles throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s.

In 2007, Shue -- along with her brothers John and Andrew -- produced a move called Gracie with the help of her husband, David Guggenheim. She continued to star in, and take supporting roles in, various movies, and in 2012 she returned to television with her role in Season 12 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. A TNT television pilot entitled Constance has also tapped her for the lead role, and she will be an executive producer for that show. It is not moving forward as a series, but may be released as a made-for-TV movie. She stars in Greyhound (2020) with Tom Hanks.

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Shue has been offered many more roles than she has actually accepted, due to her schedule and whether she was interested in the character she was asked to portray. She has also been considered for a number of roles that have ultimately gone to another actress. It's clear that Shue's career has been a strong one, and that she will likely have acting and producing work well into the future. There are few characters she can't portray, and her vision for developing characters she takes on is clear. Shue is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.