Elizabeth Berridge was born on May 2, 1962, in New Rochelle, New York, to George Berridge, a lawyer, and Mary L. Berridge (née Robinson),a social worker. The Berridge family later settled in Larchmont, New York, where Elizabeth began her early performances and singing at Chatsworth Elementary School.
As her acting commitments took precedence, Elizabeth earned her high school diploma through an independent-study program at Mamaroneck High School. Her breakout role came when she was called in to audition for the part of Constanze Mozart in the Academy Award-winning film Amadeus.
Initially, the role had been offered to Meg Tilly, but an injury sustained during a neighborhood soccer game forced her to withdraw from the project. Two actresses were subsequently flown to Prague, where filming had already commenced, and Elizabeth was chosen for the part after a week-long audition process.
