‘Amadeus’ Is Turning 40! See What Elizabeth Berridge, Who Played Mozart’s Wife, Has Been Doing Since

While an epic biographical drama about dueling classic music composers in 18th century Vienna doesn’t necessarily sound like the stuff of box office gold, Amadeus, the fictionalized tale of the rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was one of the most popular films of 1984. 

In September, Amadeus celebrates its 40th anniversary, and the film’s mix of style, humor and history has proved highly influential in the decades since its release. In honor of the milestone anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the film’s leading lady, Elizabeth Berridge, and seeing what she’s been up to since she played Mozart’s wife.

How Elizabeth Berridge got her start

Berridge started acting as a teen, and made her debut in the 1979 film Natural Enemies. Her first starring role came in 1981, when she played a teen being terrorized at a creepy carnival in the slasher movie The Funhouse. That same year, the young actress was cast in the soap opera Texas, a short-lived spinoff of Another World.

After her stint as a soap star, Berridge was cast as Constanze Mozart in Amadeus. The role didn’t come easy, as Constanze was originally supposed to be played by The Big Chill actress Meg Tilly. When Tilly injured herself just a week before filming was set to begin, Berridge was brought in to replace her at the last minute.

While the film was a hit, and won the Oscar for Best Picture, some viewers were critical of Berridge’s lively performance, and said that she didn’t have the right accent and presented as too youthful. The star took it in stride, telling The New York Times, “It’s weird to be trashed like that, but it’s been a tremendous learning experience.”

As the ’80s continued, Berridge appeared in the films Smooth Talk (1985) and Five Corners (1987) as well as episodes of Miami Vice and The Equalizer.

After Amadeus

In the early ’90s, Berridge costarred as the maid to a senator in the sitcom The Powers That Be. The show aired from 1992 to 1993, and after its cancellation she was cast in another sitcom,  The John Larroquette Show, which ran from 1993 to 1996. She played a police officer, which marked quite the change from her signature Amadeus role.

Berridge then played another historical figure, the legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley, in the 2004 Western Hidalgo. Since that film, she’s primarily taken on roles in indie comedies like Please Give (2010) and Results (2015), both of which also featured her husband, character actor and independent film fixture Kevin Corrigan.

Berridge’s final role to date was in the 2022 short film The Vanishing Point. The short was a true family affair, as it costarred Corrigan and was written and directed by Berridge and Corrigan’s daughter, Sadie Rose Corrigan.

Berridge has kept a fairly low profile in recent years, but 40 years after Amadeus, her breakout performance remains a delight. Reflecting on the role, she said, “There’s a certain contemporariness to me in the movie,” and while some may have criticized that contemporariness it’s a big part of what kept the historical drama feeling fresh and engaging for all these years.