Meet Elisa

For over 20 years, Elisa Donovan has been a part of iconic pop culture phenomenons. She began her film career originating the role of Amber in the now classic Paramount Pictures comedy, Clueless.  She went on to the equally iconic television shows Beverly Hills, 90210, and Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Elisa has had recurring roles on multiple other TV series, and has starred in numerous telefilms and will be seen in the upcoming limited series, Whatever Happened To Daisy?

Elisa was also the star and co-producer of the NBC comedy web series In Gayle We Trust, created and written by Brent Forrester (The Office). IGWT was an unprecedented success for the network, garnering over 35MM views.  Elisa also co-stars in the franchise of family films, “The Dog Who Saved…”  and was voted Reader Favorite as a Celebrity Mom Blogger for people.com. Elisa was hand selected by Sheryl Sandberg to be the voice for her #1 bestsellers Lean In and Option B. The audiobook for Lean In was also #1 on the charts and was submitted for a Grammy nomination.

In 2021, Elisa’s first book, Wake Me When You Leave, was released by Llewellyn Worldwide (audiobook released by Penguin Random House). WMWYL was awarded the Gold Medal at the COVR Awards for Autobiographical Books and the Silver Medal at the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards. WMWYL is currently in development as a film, with Richard J. Bosner producing. The film will mark Elisa’s screenwriting and directorial debuts. Currently, Elisa hosts the podcast KILLER THRILLER for iHeart Radio, exec produced by Amy Robach & TJ Holmes.

In addition to her entertainment career, Elisa serves on the board of The Collaborative for The National Alliance For Eating Disorders and in February of 2022 was a panelist for the groundbreaking conversation with The White House Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine. In 2024, Elisa led a panel at the United Nations in NYC for World Eating Disorders Action Day. She has had pieces published in the “Chicken Soup For The Soul” series of books as well as having her recovery story featured in the book “Feeding The Fame” and documented for TEEN People. Elisa has spoken about recovery on many television shows including 20/20, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and Headline News. Elisa is also a fierce anti-gun violence advocate and works closely with the non-profit Pierce’s Pledge.

Originally from Northport, Long Island, Elisa grew up studying acting, writing, and photography. She was also a competitive equestrian. She graduated from Eugene Lang College at The New School University in NYC, where she studied dramatic literature, acting and writing. Elisa lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.