Lisa Edelstein's Life as an '80s Celebutante Revealed!
Before she was a star of 'GG2D,' she was known as nightlife It Girl Lisa E.—get the scoop.
She's a television veteran, having starred in hits like House M.D. and our new scripted show Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce.
But before she dominated the small screen, Lisa Edelstein was known in circles for another reason: she was a famous New York City celebutante in the mid-1980s. And her fame was such that she even became the subject of a 1986 New York Times profile, too—written by none other than present-day Op-Ed columnist Maureen Dowd. (Read the original story here.)
In the piece, which was published with the headline Lisa In Wonderland, the actress (a student at New York University) was crowned the "reigning Queen of the Night, Girl of the Moment, new Edie Sedgwick and top 'celebutante' of 1986." In those days, Lisa ran in elite circles with Gotham figures like Village Voice columnist Michael Musto, nightlife kingpin Steve Rubell and Heda Hopper. She could also be seen hanging out in the same room as Andy Warhol.
So what's it like to look back on her life then? "It was the perfect place to be a wild, young adult," Lisa tells the Daily Dish. "I had friends of all ages and from all walks of life and I drank that sh-- up! I found it so refreshing to see people living their lives so far beyond the edge of socially acceptable. Today I find ginger kale pineapple juice refreshing. I also drink that sh-- up."
Back in the mid-80s, Lisa worked as a bartender at the Palladium and hung out as some of the city's most revered institutions, including Danceteria (where Madonna got her start), Limelight and the Tunnel.
I had friends of all ages and from all walks of life and I drank that sh-- up!”
A lot has changed since then. These days, Lisa is a happily-married newlywed and yoga enthusiast. And while she may have left nightlife behind, she's definitely there in spirit. "As far as club culture goes now, I’m sure cool little places pop up all over the world," she says. "Things like that are no longer defined geographically. People find each other from great distances in a way they couldn’t do back then."
And she's also psyched when people bring up her club kid past: "People who know me from back then still call me Lisa E.," she says. "I love that! And my name is actually Lisa E. Edelstein. Shoulda used that name professionally, damn it!"
