Elizabeth Berridge--Constanze Mozart in Amadeus

 

Berridge was born in New Rochelle, New York, the daughter of George Berridge, a lawyer, and Mary L. Berridge (née Robinson), a social worker. The family settled in Larchmont, New York, where she attended Chatsworth Elementary School. There she began to perform and sing. Due to her acting commitments, she earned her diploma through an independent-study program at Mamaroneck High School.

Berridge was called in to audition for the part of Constanze Mozart after filming had already commenced in Prague on Amadeus. Meg Tilly, who was originally given the role, injured her leg in a soccer game and had to withdraw from the film. Two actresses were flown to Prague, and after a week's auditions, Berridge was given the part (supposedly because the other actress, Diane Franklin, was "too pretty" to play the part of a landlady's daughter). Berridge and the other cast members remained in Prague for six months to complete the filming.  Wikipedia

 

A diminutive brunette with a wide range, but most often cast in somewhat sullen comic roles, Elizabeth Berridge began acting right out of high school in the feature film "Natural Enemies" (1979) and on the NBC daytime drama "Texas." She first received wide notice as the slightly flighty Costanze Mozart opposite Tom Hulce in Milos Forman's Oscar-winning "Amadeus" (1984). Berridge has since appeared in such features as "Five Corners" (1986) and "Small Talk" (1985), but has become better known for her TV work.

Berridge made her TV series debut as the bumbling maid serving a senator's family in the Norman Lear-produced "The Powers That Be" (NBC, 1992-93). She had greater series success as Eggers, the tomboyish cop, on "The John Larroquette Show" (NBC, 1993-96). Berridge has also appeared in several TV-movies, notably "Silence of the Heart" (CBS, 1984) and the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" production "Home Fires Burning" (CBS, 1989).

Due to her immediate entry into TV and film, Berridge did not begin to act on stage until 1984. Within two years, she had earned a Drama Desk nomination Desk Award for her work in three off-Broadway plays: ""Briar Patch," "Cruise Control" and "Wrestlers." Her first Southern California stage work, the lead in "Lulu" at the La Jolla Playhouse resulted in a 1989 DRAMA-LOGUE Award as Best Lead Actress.  Turner Classic Movies