Elisabeth Shue On Battle Of The Sexes And What Feminism Looks Like Today

Elisabeth Shue is a superstar. I can safely say that because when I announced she would be on my show, my notifications and texts blew up with people who have a favorite film of hers. Adventures in Babysitting, Karate Kid, Cocktail, Back To The Future II and III and so many more made her a staple of the film industry in the 80’s and 90’s. If I said I didn’t gush, I’d be lying.

In fact she’s worked consistently for decades and was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in Leaving Las Vegas. Now with her latest film, Battle of the Sexes she’s showing her star still shines bright. Battle of the Sexes tells the real life story of the most-watched sports event in history, the tennis match between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carrell). Shue plays Riggs’ wife Patricia Wheelan. She says working opposite Steve Carrell was an amazing experience.

Because this film addresses such a pivotal time in women’s history I wanted to ask her about the timeliness of this film given everything that’s happening in American politics right now. She tells me she doesn’t really like the word feminist because it was created by a man and seems to have a negative connotation. But mostly, she doesn’t like labels.

And not to label her here, but she is shy. She admits she feels more reserved in large groups. I’m always surprised when actors say they are shy or quiet. I just assume everyone is as loud and camera hungry as I am. One other surprising thing I found out is that she is an avid tennis player, although she doesn’t get to play tennis in this movie.

Elisabeth also gets very candid with me about the impact of becoming a mom had on her career. She says there’s no doubt it affected her career but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. The mom of 3 says the good far out weighs the bad of parenting in showbiz.

We also talked about her secret to longevity in a fickle industry and what she hopes to do next. Her class and kindness really shines in this conversation and I enjoyed it so much that I feel I can safely give her a label: movie star.

To hear more of my conversation with Elisabeth Shue subscribe to my show on iTunes or Stitcher. Don’t forget to leave a review! Battle of the Sexes is open nationwide and stars Emma Stone, Steve Carrell, Elisabeth Shue and Andrea Riseborough.