Lisa Edelstein

by Katherine

Early Life •  Born May 21st, 1966. •  Grew up in New Jersey •  “I was begging my parents to move out of New

Jersey since I was 5…I started memorizing the streets of New York when I was 13, just figuring out where I was gonna live.”

Early Life (Continued)

•  Went to Tisch to study acting •  Role models: Gilda Radner, Carol Burnett

Club Kid

•  She met a guy—James St. James, and together they became popular in the NYC downtown scene

•  James St. James wrote Disco Bloodbath, made into a movie, about the Club Kid scene.

•  Named: Lisa E.

Club Kid (Continued)

•  She told people she was an actress, even though she wasn’t yet, figuring eventually it would stick

•  Bartended at Palladium

•  Hosted parties all over, at Limelight, Danceteria, Milk Bar, etc.

Queen of Downtown

•  Dubbed a “celebutante” by a New York Times reporter

•  Called “Queen of Downtown” and “Queen of the Night” by reporters and old friends

•  Acquaintances with Andy Warhol

•  Nelson Sullivan recorded her and Patrick McMullan took photos of her, and Michael Musto wrote about her.

Queen of Downtown (Continued)

•  “I was one of those people who was literally famous for doing nothing . . . I was always a part of the club scene in New York and eventually was able to produce my own musical about AIDS ["Positive Me"] because of the audience and press I received as a club kid.”

Activism (in the 80’s) •  Wrote one of the first plays

about AIDS, titled “Positive Me” when she was just 19. Clip

•  “It was inspired by my friends, everybody dying and there being no education about the matter. The president hadn’t even spoken the word yet. There was a lot of confusion, a lot of fear, no treatment and a lot of dying…My play was really about the things that get in the way of taking care of ourselves.” –Jewish Woman, Winter, 2007

First Jobs •  1st TV Gig was hosting MTV’s

Awake On The Wild Side for 1 season.

•  SAG card in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991), she has no words.

•  Mad About You, LA Law, Wings, and Seinfeld are her first credits

First Jobs (Continued) •  She started off playing very risqué characters

(transgenders, lesbians, hookers, nymphomaniacs)

•  In response to a reporter asking her how she likes playing a “normal” character, (Lisa Cuddy), she replied “every human being is normal no matter if they’re a hooker, a transgender, or a lesbian, or an orthodox Jew”, this past year.

•  She’s sad that many of her friends are not alive to see her performances, but she wants to honor them with a dignified portrayal.

Health/Lifestyle •  She’s a vegetarian; has too hard a time finding non-

leather shoes to be a vegan. She’s never preachy, just informative.

•  She hurt her neck long ago and was told that she would need spinal fusions. She instead took up yoga and now practices Mysore style Ashtanga yoga 6 days a week for 2 hours a day, and did not need surgery.

Activism (Present)

•  Politically savvy, attends conventions. Always wanting to speak up.

•  “I think it's really important for celebrities to use their power of money and fame to get their voices out there. It's funny to me that we're expected to keep quiet just because of who we are. Why do I lose my right to speak my mind because I'm famous? People criticize Michael Moore, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon for standing up for what they believe in, but that's what they do. They never pretended to be anyone else.”

Activism (Continued) •  She has rescue pets which she

nurses back to health. She used to have 3 dogs and a cat, since they passed away she has one dog. (Sandwich, Bumpa, Wolf-E, Bug, Shazam)

•  Involved with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Activism (Continued) •  “There's a lot of things in the world that need

some attention, and animals are one of them, and if you have the passion for it, then go for it, but it's just important to do something. About what means something to you.”

•  She is still involved with spreading awareness about AIDS and promoting gay rights.

•  Also volunteers for Planned Parenthood.

Activism (Continued)

•  Read for “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later”, a play about the hate crime and murder of a gay man.

Activism (Continued) •  During the WGA Strike (2007-2008), she was always

at the picket lines.

Fashion

Career as an Actor •  “I think if you have another idea about how to make your living you'd

never become an actor.” •  Usually limited to playing Jewish or Greek characters. •  "I used to think my last name was awkward, nerdy, so Jewish. But when I

tried to think of a different one, I realized that I was trying to be someone else. That didn't sit well with me."

Scenes

•  Dramatic and Comedic actor •  3 Scenes