Biographie
Elena Schuber, born and raised in Long Beach, CA, attended an all-girls Catholic high school in Orange County. She was brought up by her mother, a teacher, her father, who owned a manufacturing business, and an older sister who is now a mother of three. Her grandmother, with Middle Eastern heritage, taught her some Arabic words.
After high school, Elena moved to Dallas, TX, where she earned a BFA in Art History, with minors in French and Studio Arts and a concentration in Film at Southern Methodist University. During college, she studied abroad in Paris, France, and had the opportunity to teach English to high school students in Poland alongside her sister.
While at SMU, Elena wrote, directed, and starred in "Critically Acclaimed," earning an A from her professor, director Kevin Heffernan. After graduation, she relocated to Los Angeles and studied the Meisner Technique for two years at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Institute. To support herself, she booked small roles, then enrolled in the prestigious Second City Improv program, followed by training with renowned acting coach Ivanna Chubbuck.
Her first notable film role was the lead in John Blanchard's "Shriek, If You Know What I Did Last Friday, the 13th." Since then, Elena has continued working in Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Driving to Zigzigland," "Phonees," "Divine Intervention," and "Metropolis II: Highway to Heaven." Her television credits include "Days of Our Lives," "Killer Outbreaks," "Norcal Rapist," "General Hospital Night Shift," "Men of a Certain Age," "Legit," and "American Horror Story," among others. She also maintains a steady presence in commercials and stage productions.
Elena's breakthrough came with the lead role in the feature film "Escape From Tomorrow," where she portrayed Emily, a mother pushed to her limits by her family during a Disneyland trip. The film was a standout at the Sundance Film Festival and was one of only fourteen films personally selected by the late Roger Ebert for his annual Ebertfest. It received international attention, partly because much of it was filmed guerrilla-style at Disneyland and Disney World without permits. The film was released nationwide on over 60 screens and via VOD and was featured as the "Indie Pick of The Week" in Entertainment Weekly.
Following Sundance, Elena starred in the direct-to-video film "Lily," appeared in five television commercials, acted in the short film "Emptied" alongside Sundance favorite Mackenzie Davis, and featured in the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy." She regularly performs with her Upright Citizens Brigade improv group to stay sharp. Fluent in conversational French, Elena enjoys yoga and hiking in her free time.
